Asa’s absence stalls N700m suit

By Innocent Anaba
LAGOS — The failure of popular jazz and soul musician, Bukola Elemide, commonly called Asa to appear at a Lagos High Court, yesterday, for cross examination, stalled a N700 million suit she instituted against publishers of a Lagos-based magazine, News of the People.

Bukola Elemide aka Asa

Asa and her manager, Janet Nwose had in the suit against the publishers of the publication, urged the court to declare that the statement and picture in the December 14-22 edition of the magazine, entitled “Lesbianism Tale Trails Asa and Manager” was defamatory.

When the matter came up, her counsel, urged the court to adjourn the suit to enable her appear in court.

In a letter to the Registrar of the court, Asa explained that her failure to be in court was as a result of her musical engagements outside the country.

Trial judge, Justice Adenike Coker, consequently adjourned the matter till April 26.

Asa wants the court to declare that the allegation of lesbianism against her and Janet is false, illegal and a violation of their rights.

They are also asking the court to restrain the defendant from further publication of what they described as malicious statements against them, adding  that the alleged defamatory statement was calculated to discredit and malign them in their ‘unblemished’ career as international music artists with high moral standing, which they have consistently conveyed in their songs.

They also accused the defendants of portraying them as loose, and licentious persons with pervert sexual orientation and therefore lacked any claim to moral rectitude.

The media house in their statement of defence, said words complained of by the claimants were not defamatory, adding that the defendant as journalist and in pursuance of his Constitutional role under Section 22 and 39 of the Constitution, have a duty to inform the public on issue that are of public interest.