‘Present Your Marriage Certificate’ – Rita Edochie Dismisses Judy Austin’s ₦1 Billion Lawsuit

Veteran Nollywood actress, Rita Edochie, has dismissed the ₦1 billion defamation lawsuit filed against her by her colleague, Judy Austin, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.

Naija News reports that Judy Austin had dragged Rita Edochie before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over alleged defamatory statements, demanding ₦1 billion in damages.

Copies of the court document shared on her Instagram page listed Austin as the claimant and the veteran movie star as the defendant.

Judy asked the court to order Rita Edochie to publish a full, unreserved retraction and apology in at least two widely circulated national newspapers and on her social media platforms.

The claimant is further seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Rita, her agents and privies from further publishing or circulating the alleged defamatory statements against her.

Judy Austin is also asking the court to direct Rita Edochie to remove the alleged defamatory statements from all her online platforms, and to pay ₦50 million as the cost of prosecuting the suit, and 10 per cent post-judgment interest on the judgment sum until it is fully paid.

The court document showed that the suit was filed by Austin’s legal representatives, including Anozie Obinnaya Obi, SAN, alongside other counsel.

The actress also accompanied the post with the caption, “Enough is enough!”

In response, Rita Edochie, in a post via her Instagram page, rubbished the lawsuit, stating she was “utterly confused” and does not recognise anyone named “Mrs Judith Yul-Edochie,” maintaining that the only legally recognised “Mrs Yul Edochie” she knows is Queen May Yul-Edochie.

Rita further challenged Judy to present an official marriage certificate capturing her legal name as “Judy Yul Edochie” before she will issue any further response.

She wrote, “I received a message from one Mrs Judith Yul Edochie and up till now I am still wondering and utterly confused about who the bearer of that name is because I don’t know anyone by that name.

“As a matter of fact, the only Mrs Yul Edochie that I know is Queen May Edochie. Wanting to be addressed by that name is very provocative right now, what I take as a terrible slap on the Edochies.

“Anyway, since you are insistent on being addressed that way, I would like to present your marriage certificate highlighting the exact confirmation of that weird name, “Mrs Judith Yul Edochie” Only then will I give further response to this very message.”