A former Commissioner for Education in Benue State, Dennis Ityavyar, has filed a N1 billion defamation suit against the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kula Tersoo, in the State High Court, Makurdi.
Also joined in the suit, filed on Tuesday by Ityavyar’s counsel, Clement Mue, are the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, the Benue State Government, and the Attorney General of Benue State, as second to fourth defendants.
In his statement of claim, Ityavyar averred that on July 17, 2025, Tersoo held a press briefing at the Benue State Government House, Makurdi, which was widely covered by various media outlets and published both in print and online.
During this briefing, Ityavyar alleges that Tersoo made several “false, malicious, and defamatory statements” against him.
The statement quoted Tersoo as saying: “It is unfortunate that someone who presided over the rot in the education sector for eight years would now have the audacity to criticize a government that is focused on fixing the mess he left behind. Professor Ityavya oversaw the collapse of the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Makurdi. He is linked to unaddressed scholarship fraud and illegal student levies. The recent outburst by Professor Ityavyar was a preemptive move to stir public sympathy ahead of potential accountability measures.”
Ityavyar claims that as a direct result of these “false and malicious statements,” he was inundated with a “deluge of phone calls, messages, and inquiries” from family members, political associates, and professional colleagues both within and outside Benue State.
Many of these individuals, he stated, expressed deep shock, disappointment, and disbelief, noting that the allegations were inconsistent with the person and character they had known for decades.
The former commissioner further averred that the statements have “gravely injured his reputation, caused him emotional distress, and has been to public ridicule, professional embarrassment, and political misrepresentation.”
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He maintained that the statements are “entirely false, defamatory, made with malicious intent, and calculated to damage his hard-earned reputation, professional standing, and credibility among his peers, and the general public.”
In suit No. MHC/131/2025, Ityavyar is seeking several declarations and orders from the court, including:
- A declaration that the defamatory statements made and published by the Defendant against the Plaintiff on July 17, 2025, are false, malicious, and defamatory.
- An order directing Mr. Kula Tersoo to publish a full and unequivocal retraction of the said defamatory statements in at least two (2) national newspapers and on the official media platforms used for their initial dissemination.
- An order compelling Mr. Kula Tersoo to issue and publish a formal apology addressed to him in writing and in the same manner as the defamatory publication.
- General damages in the sum of ₦1,000,000,000 (One billion Naira) for defamation of character, reputational injury, and emotional distress.
- An order for Mr. Kula Tersoo to pay the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) as special damages for legal and professional fees incurred in retaining counsel, among other orders.