Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has filed a ₦10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mr. Aboki Danjuma.
The suit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, by Kanu’s counsel, Maxwell Opara, also seeks ₦50 million in exemplary damages. The case is marked CV/3179/2025 and was submitted on August 14, following a writ dated August 12.
Kanu’s legal team is demanding:
- A judicial declaration that a press statement issued by Danjuma on July 25 — linking IPOB and its security wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), to attacks in Arondizuogu, Imo State — was false, defamatory, and lacking in evidence.
- A public retraction and formal apology in at least two national newspapers and on national television.
- An order of perpetual injunction restraining the police commissioner and his agents from making further similar statements.
- 10% post-judgment interest on the entire judgment sum until full payment is made.
According to the court filings, the Commissioner allegedly issued a statement mere hours after an attack in the Arondizuogu area of Ideato Local Government Area, blaming IPOB and stating that the violence was “orchestrated by IPOB under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
Kanu’s lawyer argued that the statement was not only false and speculative but also issued without any investigation, arrests, or charges linked to the incident. The suit further claims that the statement caused “serious reputational harm” to Kanu, both nationally and internationally.
Opara noted that at the time of the press release, IPOB was actively appealing the controversial ex-parte court order that declared it a terrorist group — a matter still pending at the Supreme Court. He argued that any reliance on that declaration remains sub judice and cannot justify public accusations.
Furthermore, Kanu’s legal team maintains that the police commissioner's actions amount to a violation of his client's right to a fair trial, as the statements were made while Kanu’s terrorism trial at the Federal High Court remains ongoing and undecided.
“The defendant’s allegations were defamatory, malicious, and intended to prejudice public opinion and the ongoing judicial process,” Opara said.
The suit seeks to hold the police commissioner accountable for allegedly making unverified and damaging public statements that have not been substantiated by evidence or legal proceedings.
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