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

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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 lawyer tweeted:“Last week, I filed  a suit against AGF Malami to stop him from making any further defamatory publication that Onyendu  Mazi Nnamdi Kalu jumped bail. Such publication is highly prejudicial and injurious to MNK’s other cases pending in various courts. It has to stop!”

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

The  claimant (Kanu) in the suit demanded, “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;

“An order of this Honourable Court directing the Defendant to retract the said Vanguard newspaper publication through another press statement to the Vanguard newspaper; 

“An order of this Honourable 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 two Nigerian Newspapers of national circulation, namely: Guardian Newspaper and Sun Newspaper.

“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 Honourable 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.”

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 statements that #MNK jumped bail.”