Lilian Onoh moves defamation lawsuit against Sahara Reporters to New York

Lilian Onoh, the former Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia, has moved her multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit against Sahara Reporters and its chairwoman, Lakeisha Landrum-Pierre, to the Southern District of New York. The case was filed on September 25, 2026.

Onoh had previously attempted to sue the New York-registered website in Texas. However, a Federal Court in Texas declined to hear the case, ruling that Sahara Reporters and Landrum-Pierre lacked sufficient meaningful contact with the state to establish jurisdiction.

According to court filings, Onoh alleges that Sahara Reporters, Landrum-Pierre, and Omoyele Sowore published fabricated stories about her as factual reports. While the defendants have claimed their reports were based on information from former Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama and former Permanent Secretary Gabriel Aduda, Onoh contends the reports were “spoon-fed” and falsely presented as the result of independent investigations. She argues the publications were characterized by willful negligence and malice, resulting in damage to her reputation and career.