The Miami-Dade County Court in Florida, U.S, has fixed February 9 for the hearing of a petition for a preliminary gag order by Africa's richest man, A
The Miami-Dade County Court in Florida, U.S, has fixed February 9 for the hearing of a petition for a preliminary gag order by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, against his ex girlfriend of nearly 10 years, Autmn Spikes.
Dangote, who said he anticipates an onslaught of social media, as threatened by Spikes, is appealing to the court to grant him “the protection” of “a preliminary restraint before evidentiary hearing” in his suit to prevent her from exposing his private and family life on social media and media talk shows.
The “petition for entry of the preliminary injunction”, was filed on January 25, five days after he filed the libel suit on January 20.
“Wherefore, the plaintiff prays that the court enter order of preliminary injunction and order defendant Autumn Spikes to show cause why she should not be the subject of gag order,” Dangote’s only prayer in his petition read.
Dangote’s lawyer, Bruce Fleisher, stated in the petition that the defence lawyer, Paul Petruzzi, “has not agreed to accept service of process”, but “this complaint has been provided to him immediately upon filing”.
In the petition, Dangote accused Spikes of making “extortive demands” of $5million in the form of an alimony.
He contended, in his court document, that his business acumen has made him a target for coercion by the defendant, adding that Spikes demanded meritless claims of $5 million in the nature of “palimony to which she is not legally entitled,” PremiumTimes reports.
According to him, there was never a marital relationship between him and Spikes granting her the right to an alimony, which is the money a court orders someone to pay regularly to their former wife or husband after their marriage has ended.
Spikes had, on January 1, via her Instagram handle, posted a viral video showing herself and Dangote with part of his buttocks exposed.
Following Dangote’s break up with her after going against their ‘non disclosure agreement,’ Spikes in an Instagram post, said Dangote insultingly offered her $15,000 and another $2,500 monthly for the NDA.
Spikes claimed she rejected the monetary offers but noted she said she was “pressured and influenced” to sign the NDA. She also said that she is yet to be served Dangote’s suit and denied threatening to expose her private affairs with Dangote to the public.
She added that the businessman had no admissible evidence to prove she made such threats, expressing confidence that the suit would be dismissed by the court.
Also, the court gave Spikes about three weeks from the day she was served with the suit to file her response.
