This study examines the use of language in two selected Nigerian libel cases: A. A. versus W. O. (1990) and C. O. & A. versus C. G. A. (2014). The study employs a pragmatic analysis to find out the indirect contextual meanings embedded in the defamatory texts in the selected libel cases. For its theoretical bases, the study leans towards Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory, Austin’s speech acts theory, and Grice’s cooperative principle in conversation. It reveals that the defendants attacked the plaintiffs’ positive face and their own (the defendants’) negative face by not paying attention to politeness and cooperative principles in conversation when performing face-threatening acts. The face-threatening acts of the defendants which are classified as warnings, insults, accusations, and complaints express their negative assessment of the plaintiffs’ positive face. Our study thus concludes by suggesting that politeness strategies such as bald on-record, and off-record (indirect) as well as maxims of quality, quantity and relation should be considered when performing inevitable face-threatening acts to avoid liabilities in libel cases.