Defamation: Kanu files N20bn suit against Malami

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, has filed a lawsuit against Abubakar Malami, the federation’s attorney general, for allegedly publishing defamatory material.

Through his attorney, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu claimed that the AGF had falsely implied that the IPOB leader had jumped bail and sought N20 billion in damages.

Malami’s slanderous publication was detrimental to Kanu’s ongoing legal proceedings, according to Ejimakor, who yesterday released copies of the lawsuit on his Twitter page.

The attorney tweeted: “Last week, I sued AGF Malami to prevent him from publishing any more false information about Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kalu jumping bail. Such publishing seriously harms MNK’s other cases that are proceeding in various courts. Stop it immediately!

Kanu sought damages in the January 13 lawsuit after what he said were false and defamatory charges made against him.

“A declaration of this Honorable Court that, given the said Judgment of Abia State High Court, the Defendant’s published statements or utterances to the effect that Claimant jumped bail, as published in the said Vanguard newspaper publication, are libelous and defamatory,” the claimant (Kanu) in the lawsuit demanded;

“An order of this Honourable Court directing the Defendant to retract the abovementioned publication in the Vanguard newspaper by another press statement to the Vanguard newspaper;

an order from this honorable court requiring the defendant to draft and present a letter of apology to the claimant that is without reservation. The letter of apology will be boldly and conspicuously published on the entire page of the Guardian and Sun newspapers, two national-circulation Nigerian newspapers.

“An order of everlasting injunction prohibiting the Defendant from ever again speaking the stated slanderous and defamatory things against or about the Claimant;

a court decision instructing the defendant to pay the claimant N20,000,000,000.00 (Twenty Billion Naira alone) in general and exemplary damages.

On behalf of Kanu, Ejimakor served Malami with a legal notice in September 2022 informing him that Ejimakor intended to sue Malami for making “defamatory and libelous comments that #MNK jumped bail.”