US Court Dismisses Defamation Suit Against Arise TV by Nigerian Pastor

In a good legal victory for Nigerian broadcaster Arise TV, a defamation lawsuit brought against it by Nigerian pastor Adetunmbi Adewami has been dismissed by the US District Court in Maryland.

The court ruled on Tuesday that it lacked jurisdiction over Arise TV, with Judge Peter Messite emphasizing that the mere accessibility of the news article in Maryland via the internet did not grant the court jurisdiction. Judge Messite stated, “Merely broadcasting a news article that became accessible on the internet in the state is not sufficient to show a defendant’s own contacts with the state.”

Pastor Adetunmbi Adewami, the lead pastor of Christ Royal Assembly for All Nations International, headquartered in Maryland, filed the suit against Arise TV and its parent company, Arise Media Inc. (Nigeria), on April 20, 2023. He claimed that a news article titled “Pastor charges N310k for heaven,” aired and published online by Arise TV on April 27, 2022, caused him severe emotional distress and damaged his reputation. Adewami asserted that the article falsely used his image and maliciously claimed he charged his congregants N310,000 to ensure their entry into heaven, leading to a loss of congregation members.

Court documents reveal that Arise TV was served with the complaint on May 9, 2023, with proof of service filed by June 15, 2023. Arise TV did not respond within the required period, prompting Adewami to seek a default judgment on July 1, 2023. In September, the court clerk issued an order of default against Arise TV.

Upon reviewing the case, the court found no need for a hearing and dismissed the suit due to lack of jurisdiction. The court ruled that “any judgment entered against a defendant over whom the court does not have personal jurisdiction is void.” It concluded that Arise TV, not being incorporated in Maryland and lacking significant ties to the state, was outside its jurisdiction.

Furthermore, the court noted that Arise TV did not specifically target the Maryland audience with the broadcast. “The mere fact that information is available on the internet is not sufficient to demonstrate targeting,” the court ruled. It held that although the article was accessible online in Maryland and Adewami claimed injuries in Maryland, this did not establish specific personal jurisdiction over Arise TV.

Thus, the motion for default judgment was deemed moot, and the defamation suit was dismissed.