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Muyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, on National TV

29.01.2025 Featured 20bn Damages, Public Apology… Details of Nnamdi Kanu’s Defamation Suit Against FPRO Muyiwa Adejobi

Published 29th Jan, 2025

By Abimbola Abatta

On Tuesday, Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), filed a defamation lawsuit against Muyiwa Adejobi, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Public Relations Officer.

In the lawsuit filed at a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Kanu demanded N20 billion from Adejobi for general and exemplary damages.

He also wants the court to order the police spokesperson to retract a defamatory publication against him and publish a letter of apology in three national dailies.

Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s legal counsel, filed the suit on his behalf.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: Egbetokun Files Criminal Charge Against Sowore for Calling Him ‘Illegal IGP’

Details of Defamatory Publication

What prompted the lawsuit was a January 25 news report. Based on a statement issued by Adejobi, the report states how the Imo State Police Command neutralised “six IPOB/ESN terrorists” the previous day.

According to the report, three of the neutralised terrorists were notorious kingpins of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), an armed wing of the IPOB.

Adejobi was quoted thus: “Upon approach, the operatives, who came under heavy fire from suspected IPOB/ESN terrorists, demonstrated exceptional courage and engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle. The operation resulted in the neutralisation of six members of the terrorist group.”

Given that Kanu is the founder of the IPOB separatist group, the suit maintained that the said news publication portrayed him as “a leader of a violent and terrorist group; an associate of violent criminals and terrorists who allegedly engaged in terrorist acts in Imo; and an irresponsible and violent person that has no regards for the sanctity of human lives”.

It was also stated that the the defamatory statements, read by Kanu’s brother and circle of friends in Abuja and Nigeria at large, were false and they constitute “a grave libel” on him.

The lawsuit reads in part, “The said words in their natural and ordinary meaning were meant and were understood to mean that the Claimant is in fact a leader of a terrorist movement that is to be vicariously blamed for alleged acts of terrorism in Imo State.

“That the Defendant’s libellous publications and utterances have seriously injured the Claimant’s character, credit, reputation and integrity; and resulted in significant prejudice against the Claimant in regard to his cases pending in Court in Abuja and elsewhere in Nigeria.”

READ ALSO: ‘Discharged, Not Acquitted’ — Why Nnamdi Kanu Remains in DSS Custody

Consequently, the IPOB leader’s demands include a declaration that Adejobi’s published statement is libellous and defamatory, an order directing him to retract the publication by issuing another press statement as well as a letter of apology to be published in The Sun, Daily Trust and Vanguard.

Kanu also wants the court to give an order restraining the police spokesperson from issuing similar statements in the future, N20 billion for damages and any additional orders deemed fit by the court.

While filing this report, the police had not issued an official statement in response to the lawsuit against the force’s spokesperson.

Adejobi could not be reached for comments by phone as the calls went unanswered and the messages sent to him via text and WhatsApp had not been responded to.

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Published 29th Jan, 2025

By Abimbola Abatta

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