Nigeria, Feb. 4 -- The Court of Appeal, in Abuja, has ordered First City Monument Bank (FCMB) to pay N540 million awarded as compensation by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court to a cleric, Emmanuel Omale, over defamation.

In October 2022, a judge of the FCT High Court at Maitama, Abuja, Yusuf Halilu, ordered the bank to pay the compensation to Mr Omale of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry and his wife, Deborah, over a false claim that they laundered N573 million for former chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

The false claim against Mr Omale, and other unproven allegations of wrongdoings were reported without proof in the lead-up to Mr Magu's turbulent exit from office as head of Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, EFCC...