Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Tonye Patrick Cole, has filed a ₦40 billion defamation lawsuit against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Channels Television.
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The suit, filed on Friday at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alleges that Wike’s comments during a live broadcast on September 18, 2025, falsely portrayed Cole as a thief who mismanaged Rivers State resources and sold state gas for $308 million, thereby damaging his reputation and public image.
Marked CV/4502/25, the suit accuses Wike, a prominent lawyer, politician, and former Rivers State Governor, alongside Channels TV, of making “false, malicious, and offensive” statements that have irreparably harmed Cole’s standing as a respected global business leader, political figure, and community developer.
The statements in question were made during Channels TV’s flagship political program, Politics Today, and were also shared across the network’s YouTube channel, website, and social media platforms.
According to the Statement of Claim, the controversy stems from Wike’s 37-minute interview on Politics Today, where he allegedly made baseless accusations against Cole, linking him to the mismanagement of Rivers State assets during his time in the energy sector.
Cited excerpts from the broadcast include Wike’s remarks:
“Those were the people who crippled the resources of the State with Amaechi. He was a conduit pipe through Sahara; they stole the State’s resources; they sold our gas for $308 million. That’s why when I see Amaechi, I say, my God, does this man think everybody is a fool? Look at our hotel, Olympia Hotel. They took it; they stole. No, no, no, it was stealing.”
Wike further alleged that Cole and his associates “sold out gas for $308 million,” accusing them of theft and fraud in the sale of state assets. The suit argues that these remarks were reckless, misleading, and intentionally omitted the context of a legitimate 2015 privatization exercise conducted under the Rivers State Government, where Wike himself served as Chief of Staff.
Cole maintains that the comments, aired around the 37:21-minute mark of the program, were part of a calculated attempt to impute “criminal conduct, theft of public funds, and moral bankruptcy” to him. The full video recording and an authenticated transcript of the broadcast have been submitted as evidence.
Channels TV, registered as a private limited liability company (RC No. 198158) and based in Abuja, is accused of failing to uphold journalistic diligence by airing and amplifying defamatory content without verification.
Cole’s 13-page Statement of Claim emphasizes his integrity and public service record, describing him as an “accomplished entrepreneur, philanthropist, politician, and public figure of impeccable character and repute.”
He contends that Wike misrepresented a 2015 Rivers State privatization transaction involving the sale of 70% shares in First Independent Power Limited (FIPL). The deal, valued at $432 million, saw NG Power (a Sahara Group entity) pay $302.4 million in full. The suit argues that Wike’s allegations falsely equated this lawful transaction with theft, disregarding multiple judicial reviews between 2015 and 2023 that found no wrongdoing.
WRIT OF SUMMONS TONYE PATRICK COLE VS NYESOM EZENWO WIKE & ANORCole is seeking the following remedies:
- A declaration that Wike’s statements were false, malicious, and defamatory.
- A retraction of the broadcast and related publications from all Channels TV platforms.
- A public apology to be aired on Politics Today and published in at least five national newspapers.
- A perpetual injunction restraining Wike and Channels TV from further disseminating defamatory material.
- Permanent deletion of all defamatory content from their digital platforms.
- General damages of ₦40 billion.
- ₦500 million as legal and litigation costs.
- Any other reliefs deemed appropriate by the court.
The court has directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the suit.
Cole is represented by Chief J. S. Okutepa, SAN, of J. S. Okutepa SAN & Co.
No date has yet been fixed for the hearing.
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