Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory against the Nigerian Police Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, for publishing defamatory statements which constituted a grave libel on his person.
Kanu’s suit followed the publication in the Vanguard of January 25, 2025 titled, “Imo police neutralise six IPOB/ESN terrorists, recover arms”, which he said portrayed him as the leader of a violent and terrorist group, and “as an association of violent criminals and terrorists who allegedly engage in terrorist acts in Imo State.”
In an affidavit in support of the suit, Prince Emmanuel Kanu averted that his brother, the IPOB leader is the Director of Radio Biafra and the leader of IPOB, “registered as a non-violent self determination movement in the United Kingdom and has tens of millions of nonviolent members and followers worldwide, including millions in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja who altogether hold the claimant in high esteem.”
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Consequently, the IPOB leader wants an order of court awarding to him the sum of N20billion being general and exemplary damages, against the Force PRO for the statements credited to him.
In a statement of claim accompanying the writ of summons, Mazi Kanu denied reports that the six alleged gunmen who were recently neutralised by the police in Imo State were members of the IPOB group.
The suit marked CV/267/25, and dated January 28, 2025, was filed on behalf of Kanu by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor Esq.
Specifically, Kanu wants the court to declare that the statement credited to the Force PRO linking him to the neutralised persons was defamatory of his person and the association.
He is praying for an order of Court directing the Defendant to retract the said publications through another publications through the same media by way of issuance of another press statement.
Also, Kanu is seeking an order of Court directing the Defendant to write and deliver to him, an unreserved letter of apology.
“The letter of apology shall be prominently and boldly published full-page in three national dailies, the IPOB leader demanded, just as he prayed the Court to direct the Defendant to pay the cost of the suit.
In addition, the Claimant wants an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from further and forever uttering the said defamatory and libelous words about or concerning him.
According to the Claimant, the statements by Adejobi and the activities credited to the deceased persons allegedly neutralised in a forest in Ihube, Okigwe, Imo State and the recovery of five AK-47 rifles, 552 rounds of live ammunition, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), several communication equipment, along with eight operational motorcycles, portrayed his brother as “an irresponsible and violent person that has no regards for the sanctity of human lives, and “a person who does not deserve justice in his cases pending in court, bordering on: Whether the IPOB is a terrorist group or not; and whether its members are terrorists or otherwise have engaged in terrorist acts.”
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter.
