Ambassador Lilian Onoh, a former Nigerian diplomat and High Commissioner to Namibia, has lodged a strongly worded petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), accusing Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya of judicial misconduct, bias, corruption, and issuing a death threat in the ongoing libel case brought against her by former Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama.
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The case, Suit No. CV/1088/2023, filed by Mr. Onyeama against Ambassador Onoh and others, alleges defamation arising from media reports about alleged corruption in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during Onyeama’s tenure. In a controversial ruling delivered on June 4, 2025, Justice Ogbonnaya reportedly declared Geoffrey Onyeama as “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” prompting widespread criticism and alarm from the petitioner.
In her 30-page petition, Ambassador Onoh described the ruling as “a global embarrassment” with both international and domestic ramifications, warning that the judgment could undermine Nigeria’s diplomatic standing and legal credibility. She contends that recognising a private individual as a federal ministry effectively nullifies the existence of the actual institution and raises serious concerns about the judge’s understanding of legal principles.
Ambassador Onoh also accused Justice Ogbonnaya of a sustained pattern of hostility, including refusal to hear pre-trial motions, imposing arbitrary fines payable only in cash without receipts, and compelling her to bear the full cost of electronic facilities and diesel required to participate in her own defense via Zoom from the United States. “This was not only a violation of my fundamental rights but blatant judicial corruption,” she said.
One of the most disturbing allegations in the petition is that the judge allegedly issued a death threat from the bench during a January 11, 2024, court session, stating: “Whoever writes what is not true against me will die.” Ambassador Onoh claims this threat was directed at her and journalists in attendance, and was documented in contemporaneous reports by Premium Times and social media posts by civic voices including Prof. Chidi Odinkalu and Aisha Yesufu.
“Despite the seriousness of this felony under Section 327 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, neither the judiciary, the police, nor the National Judicial Council has taken any action,” Onoh said, calling on the Chief Judge to refer the matter for criminal prosecution and initiate disciplinary proceedings.
Furthermore, she alleged that Justice Ogbonnaya has refused to release the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment delivered in open court on June 4, thereby obstructing her constitutional right to appeal within the statutory 90-day window. “This delay is a calculated attempt to aid Mr. Onyeama in pursuing criminal defamation proceedings against me while leaving me legally stranded,” she asserted.
Ambassador Onoh maintains that the entire trial process was laced with personal vendetta and abuse of judicial office, and calls for an immediate suspension of the judgment, an investigation into the judge’s conduct, and urgent release of the judgment transcript.
She also expressed fears for her safety, linking the case to an alleged attempt on her life in 2021 which she attributes to Onyeama and corrupt officials. Onoh disclosed that she has forwarded the petition to the Inspector General of Police, the Attorney General of the Federation, and diplomatic missions including the embassies of the United States, Switzerland, and the European Union.
In closing, she declared: “I absolutely refuse to join this judicial absurdity that seeks to transform a man into an institution and punish me for telling the truth.”
Ambassador Lilian Onoh is a career diplomat who served Nigeria for three decades, including as Ambassador to Jamaica and High Commissioner to Namibia. She is also the sister of Onyeama’s former spouse. Her allegations against the former Minister of Foreign Affairs include corruption, abuse of office, and personal vendettas dating back several years.
As of press time, neither Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya nor the FCT High Court had issued any official response. Efforts to reach Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama for comment were also unsuccessful.
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Onoh is also forwarding copies of her petition to key national and international authorities, including the Inspector General of Police, Attorney‑General of the Federation, parliamentary committees on foreign affairs, and diplomatic missions, requesting action to ensure her protection and preserve judicial accountability.
As of now, the FCT Chief Judge’s office has not issued a response to the petition.
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