THE cold war between father and son, snowballed into a full-blown legal tussle last week when a son appeared before High Court in Koton-Karfe in Kogi State, claiming N500 million damages from his father for defamation of character.
Mohammed Tajudeen Otokiti is claiming the whooping sum of money from his father, Chief Hassan Suleiman Otokiti (the Obobanyi of Ohueta in Okehi LGA) for allegedly causing a defamatory publication in The Graphic newspaper of 18 March, 2009.
The paid advert in The Graphic on the date specified, stated in part, “I am not the biological father of Tajudeen Otokiti…, from today henceforth, members of the public are warned to desist from transacting any business on behalf of my family with the said Tajudeen Otokiti.”
The claimant, Tajudeen is seeking a declaration that the disclaimer notice published at the instance of the defendant was defamatory, and has caused him immeasurable public embarrassment.
He is also seeking a written public apology and retraction of the said publication by the defendant against and concerning the claimant.
In the 57 Statement of Claim, before the High Court, Mallam Tajudeen noted that there is no genealogical examination by way of a DNA carried out between him and the defendant since his birth on 8 November 1965.
He added that the defendant is his biological father pointing out that he cannot be disowned by mere publication in a newspaper.
The claimant is saying that he has suffered untold rejection and neglect by members of the public since the said publication.
He averred in the statement that the defendant helped him to obtain Okehi Local Government confirmation of Kogi State origin and wherein the defendant, Alhaji Hassan Suleiman Otokiti confirmed being his father.
The claimant maintained that he is the first son of the family with other members of the family namely, Khadijat, Nafisat, Amudat, Huseinat, Ummani, Ibrahim, Alaba, Mustapha, Fatima, Kayode.
The court papers were served on the defendant on Tuesday 20 July, 2010 at about 5. 00pm in Ihima.
The court has not slated any date for mentioning of the case.