A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Mr Moshood Oluawo, has instituted a N500m lawsuit against the member representing representing Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency in House of Representatives, Mr. Rasheed Afolabi, as damages for allegedly defaming him.

The sum was part of Oluwo’s prayers in a suit with the number HOS/33/2022 filed against Afolabi.

Oluawo, in his statement of claim filed by his lawyer, Muhydeen Adeoye, before an Osun State High Court, Osogbo Judicial Division, dated April 4, 2022, said sometimes in October, 2021, he was invited by the operatives of the Department of State Services to their Osun State head office in Osogbo, sequel to a petition written by Afolabi, who had accused him of masterminding an attempt to assassinate him along Kogi/Lokoja road on his way to Abuja.

The claimant, who also said Afolabi called him an assassin in the presence of DSS operatives, added after he was grilled, the command said the allegations were baseless and unfounded and he was subsequently released.

Having be wrongly labelled, Oluawo said he had suffered loses, as people had been avoiding him, even as he was preparing to contest for the post the Afolabi currently occupies.

He therefore sought order of court awarding damages of N500 million against the respondent and publication of apology by Afolabi in six national dailies.

Meanwhile, Justice A. Onibokun had granted the claimant leave to paste the process on the campaign office of the defendant in Ikirun.