Actress Judy Austin’s ₦1 Billion Defamation Suit Against Ex-Husband Adjourned

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has adjourned the ₦1 billion defamation case filed by actress Judy Austin against her former husband, Emmanuel Obasi, to November 24, 2026.

Naija News reports that the case was heard on Tuesday, September 29, when Obasi’s legal team challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Following the development, the court fixed November 24 for further proceedings in the case.

Austin filed the lawsuit in August over alleged defamatory statements attributed to Obasi.

She is asking the court to award her ₦1 billion in general damages.

The actress is also seeking ₦500 million in aggravated damages and another ₦500 million in exemplary damages.

She is further demanding ₦100 million as the cost of prosecuting the case.

Austin wants the court to order Obasi to publish a full retraction and apology over the alleged defamatory statements in at least two national newspapers and on his social media platforms.

She is also asking the court to stop Obasi from making further statements that she considers defamatory against her.

In addition, the actress wants previous social media posts containing the alleged defamatory material removed.

The case is connected to a long-running dispute between Austin and Obasi, who were previously married.

The disagreement has also involved their children and has been discussed publicly over the years.

In 2024, Obasi alleged that Austin had prevented him from seeing their children for about 10 years following her relationship and marriage to actor Yul Edochie.

After receiving the court papers, Obasi said he was not concerned about the lawsuit.

He also expressed hope that the legal proceedings could create an opportunity for him to reconnect with his children, whom he said he had not seen for more than 12 years.