A chairperson of a local government council in Akwa Ibom State is demanding N1billion as damages from a blogger in the state whom he accused of character defamation.

Asuakak Umoh, the chairperson of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, is also demanding from the blogger, Utitofon Morgan, a retraction and an apology published in two national dailies and two local tabloids within three days.

Mr Umoh’s demands are contained in a 15 July 2025 letter from his lawyer, Itohowo Ibe-Bassey, to the blogger.

Mr Morgan owns a Facebook page called Sitipe, where he regularly blogs about happenings in Akwa Ibom. He is the leader of the Coalition of Online Publishers in the state.

Mr Morgan told PREMIUM TIMES that he paraphrased a statement the council chairperson made at an event. He said he uploaded on the Sitipe Facebook page, a video clip showing the chairperson, Mr Umoh making a remark that lack of jobs in his council area was causing youths to resort to writing on Facebook.

Mr Morgan said shortly after he made the post, people called and asked him to delete it, which he did.

“In less than 20 minutes, I took down the video. I was surprised that the next day, somebody called to inform me that the council chairperson instructed his lawyer to serve me a defamation notice,” he said, adding that he was yet to receive the letter.

In the video clip seen by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Umoh made the remark referenced by Mr Morgan.

It is, however, unclear when the council chairperson made the remark.

“I’ve realised that Ibiono (Ibom) media, because we are many (in population), when they argue that we’ve written something on Facebook too much, I said it’s because there is no job.

“If you don’t have a means of engaging these youths, they will engage themselves. And some of their engagements are to write… Their general services are to publish something on social media so that it will attract your attention to invite them over,” he said.

In the letter alleging character defamation, Mr Umoh referred Mr Morgan to the post the blogger allegedly made on Facebook – “Council chairman, Asuakak, says Ibiono youth are lazy, striving on blackmailing leaders on social media for relevance.”

Mr Umoh’s lawyer, Mr Ibe-Bassey, said over 100 people drew his client’s attention to the “defamatory publication”.

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The lawyer said the blogger intentionally made the publication with the aim of “degrading and diminishing the hard-earned reputation” of the council chairperson.

“Our client briefed us that notwithstanding the aforesaid irresponsible publication, you further attached a video of his, where he made a speech at an event which is at variance and unconnected with the said unguarded publication of yours earlier referred to above, which further confirms your negative intentions to malign and destroy the integrity and most importantly, instigate the youths of Ibiono Ibom and the state as a whole against our client.

“Take notice that if those libelous words of yours are not retracted from the said platform earlier referred to, as well as an apology in two national dailies, two local tabloids and on the said page of yours, including but not limited to immediate payment of N1 billion in favour of our client within three days effective from the service of this notice, we shall have no option than to seek redress in the appropriate legal channel(s) against you,” the letter read.

Mr Umoh did not respond to a call and a text message seeking his comment on the matter at the time of filing this report.