IPOB: Nnamdi Kanu sues police spokesman Adejobi for defamation, demands N20bn

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has dragged the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, for alleged defamation.
Kanu accused Adejobi of lying that three persons killed by the police in Owerri, Imo State last week were members of IPOB.
In the suit filed by his Lead Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu informed the court that an article tagged: “Imo: Police neutralise six IPOB/ESN terrorists, recover arms,” defamed IPOB.
To this end, the IPOB leader demanded the sum of N20 million as damages from Adejobi with a written apology that should be published in national dailies.
The defamatory articles had said “Operatives of the Imo Police Command’s tactical unit have neutralised three notorious kingpins of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, an armed wing of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
“The Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made the disclosure in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in Owerri.
“Adejobi said following credible intelligence, the police operatives located and launched a coordinated operation on the terrorists’ hideout in a forest within Ihube in Okigwe Local Government Area of the state on January 24.
The Force PRO was quoted as saying that five AK-47 rifles, 552 rounds of live ammunition, Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, several communication equipment, along with eight operational motorcycles used by the group, were recovered from the scene.
However, Kanu lamented that the publication credited to Adejobi was false and constituted a “grave libel on his person, as the words in their natural and ordinary meaning portrayed the Claimant in the following light: ”a leader of a violent and terrorist group.
“An associate of violent criminals and terrorists who allegedly engaged in terrorist acts in Imo State.
“An irresponsible and violent person that has no regards for the sanctity of human lives.”
The embattled IPOB leader prayed the court to prevail on the Force spokesman to retract the “publications through another publications through the same media by way of issuance of another press statement.
“AN ORDER of this Honorable Court directing the Defendant to write and deliver to the Claimant, an unreserved letter of apology. The letter of apology shall be prominently and boldly published full-page in three (3) national dailies, namely: the SUN, Daily Trust and Vanguard.
“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from further and forever uttering the said defamatory and libelous words about or concerning the Claimant.
“AN ORDER of this Honorable Court directing the Defendant to pay to the Claimant the sum of N20,000,000,000.00 (Twenty Billion Naira only) being general and exemplary damages.
“AN ORDER of this Honorable Court directing the Defendant to pay the cost of this Suit.”
Commenting on the suit, Ejimakor said in issuing instructions to file this suit, Kanu made it very clear that “any security agency and others engaging in media trial of his person (directly or indirectly) or peddling propaganda against IPOB will be sued to enable such an entity come to court to present their evidence.”
He said: “Therefore, media houses are hereby encouraged to verify the accuracy of these anti-IPOB defamatory statements issuing from security agencies that beat their chests and create the impression that they are somehow benefiting from stoking insecurity by way of needless propaganda.
“For avoidance of doubt, a competent high court had held in October 2022 that the Federal Government breached the Constitution in labeling IPOB a terrorist group and that the group was discriminatorily targeted because its membership is populated by the Igbo. Thus, to keep tagging every criminal encountered in Southeast as IPOB exhibits a false narrative that defames not only Nnamdi Kanu but the entire Igbo.”
IPOB: Nnamdi Kanu sues police spokesman Adejobi for defamation, demands N20bn