Nollywood actress Judy Austin has instituted a defamation lawsuit against veteran actress Rita Edochie at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja, seeking ₦1 billion in general damages.
Austin, who is in a relationship with actor Yul Edochie (Rita’s nephew), shared copies of the writ of summons on her Instagram page with the caption “Enough is enough!” The court documents list Austin as the claimant and Rita Edochie as the defendant.
The suit was filed by her legal team, which includes Senior Advocate of Nigeria Anozie Obinnaya Obi and other counsel.
In the writ, Austin claims ₦1,000,000,000 as general damages for alleged defamatory statements. She is also seeking:
• An order compelling Rita Edochie to publish a full, unreserved retraction and apology in at least two widely circulated national newspapers and on all her social media platforms.
• A perpetual injunction restraining Rita Edochie, her agents, and privies from further publishing or circulating the alleged defamatory statements.
• An order directing the removal of the alleged defamatory statements from all online platforms.
• ₦50 million as the cost of prosecuting the suit.
•10 percent post-judgment interest on the judgment sum until fully paid.
The defendant has 30 days from the date of service to enter an appearance, either personally or through a legal practitioner.
The legal action comes amid a prolonged public feud. Rita Edochie has repeatedly criticised Austin in social media posts over her relationship with Yul Edochie, particularly in light of Yul’s earlier marriage to May Edochie.
Comments attributed to Rita have included references to home-wrecking, traditional values, and the quality of relationships, which Austin’s suit characterises as defamatory.
Rita Edochie has dismissed the lawsuit. In an Instagram post, she stated she was “utterly confused” and does not recognise anyone named “Mrs Judith Yul-Edochie,” insisting that the only Mrs Yul Edochie she knows is Queen May Yul-Edochie.
She described the use of that name as provocative and a “terrible slap on the face of the Edochies,” and challenged Austin to present a marriage certificate confirming the name before she would respond further to the summons.
The development coincides with a separate ₦1 billion defamation suit Austin has filed against her former husband, Emmanuel Obasi, over public statements he made about their past marriage and the timeline of her relationship with Yul Edochie.
The case remains at the preliminary stage. Both parties are expected to present their positions when the matter proceeds in court.
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