AUSTIN, Texas (ChatnewsTV) — Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has told a federal court in Texas that he and his media outlet published a report in April 2023, based on information from Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, regarding allegations against former Nigerian High Commissioner to Namibia and Jamaica, Ambassador Lilian Onoh. The report, which accused Onoh of financial misconduct, is at the center of a defamation lawsuit filed by the former ambassador.
Sowore made this statement in defense of the defamation suit filed by Onoh, who has alleged that the publication knowingly disseminated false information to discredit her efforts to expose corruption within the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Court documents filed by Sowore’s attorney in July, and reviewed by this correspondent, revealed that the controversial April 2023 article stemmed from a report created by Onyeama. “On or about April 21, 2023, after obtaining a report created by the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sahara Reporters published an article reporting on allegations that Plaintiff Lilian Onoh engaged in financial misconduct involving Nigerian government funds,” the document states.
Onoh filed the lawsuit in December 2023 in Texas, naming Onyeama, former Permanent Secretary Gabriel Aduda, Sowore, and Sahara Reporters as defendants. The former ambassador claimed that the accusations of financial impropriety were fabricated to tarnish her reputation after she reported corruption in the ministry. She had previously documented corruption allegations in memos to former President Muhammadu Buhari, including claims of the embezzlement of $2.8 million in Red Cross funds and visa fraud against the U.S. by Nigerian diplomats.
Sowore, in his defense, admitted that the article published by Sahara Reporters was based on a report from Onyeama. Onoh, in turn, accused Onyeama of overseeing rampant corruption within the foreign ministry, which she had outlined in a series of confidential communications to the Nigerian president.
In prior legal battles, Onoh had engaged in a public dispute with Onyeama, accusing him of orchestrating a smear campaign against her after she alleged that he was involved in corrupt practices. Onoh also testified in a Nigerian court in 2021, accusing Onyeama of suffering from long-standing mental health issues that she claimed impacted his ability to manage Nigeria’s foreign affairs.
Onoh’s claims against Onyeama have added to broader criticisms of the Buhari administration, which has been labeled as one of the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history. According to a report by Business Insider Africa in July 2024, Nigerian diplomats ranked among the top five most corrupt public officials in the country, even more corrupt than the nation’s police force and members of parliament.
As the Texas defamation case progresses, Sowore and Sahara Reporters continue to face legal challenges, including separate charges of criminal defamation and cyberbullying related to Nigerian Senator Ned Nwoko.
Onoh maintains that her efforts to expose corruption within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were part of her official duties and should be protected as privileged communication with the presidency.
