Court Orders Documents to be Pinned at FCT Minister’s Office Gate as Wike Evades Personal Service in Tonye Cole’s N40 Billion Defamation Suit

In a dramatic turn in the ongoing political and legal feud between two prominent Rivers State figures, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has ordered that court documents for the N40 billion defamation lawsuit filed against FCT Minister Nyesom Wike be served through substituted means. The ruling, delivered today, Tuesday, December 9, 2025, by Justice M. A. Hassan, was necessitated after the plaintiff’s legal team reported unsuccessful attempts to serve the Minister personally.

The lawsuit was instituted by Tonye Patrick Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 Rivers State election, who claims Wike made “malicious and unfounded defamatory statements” against him during a Channels Television broadcast on September 18, 2025. Cole alleges that Wike’s remarks imputed financial misconduct and theft of state resources, particularly concerning the Rivers State gas assets and the Olympia Hotel, severely damaging his global professional reputation. Channels Television is listed as the second defendant in the suit.

Representing the claimant, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jibrin Okutepa, moved the motion ex parte, informing the court that despite the issuance of a writ of summons and a pre-action notice, attempts to serve Minister Wike personally had been futile. Justice Hassan, in his ruling, granted the prayer for substituted service, ordering that the writ of summons, statement of claim, and all other accompanying court documents be officially pasted at the gate of the FCT Minister’s office in Garki, Abuja.

The order mandates that the defendants enter an appearance within 21 days of the service. The court has adjourned the matter to March 24 and 25, 2026, for substantive hearing, setting the stage for a high-stakes judicial battle over the political comments.