The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has sued Reno Omokri for N60 billion at a High Court sitting in Enugu State over alleged malicious and reckless publication of false statements.
Recall that on July 6, 2025, Omokri, in a post published on X, alleged that Kanu and IPOB were responsible for the killing of soldiers, police officers, and other security personnel, as well as acts of violence attributed to so-called unknown gunmen.
In a writ of summon, the plaintiff (Kanu) argued that the statements are false, baseless, prejudicial, and defamatory, as they portray him as a criminal and a terrorist, thereby injuring his reputation, character, exposing him to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, and prejudicing his proceedings in Charge No: FHC/ARJ/CR/383/15 pending at the Federal High Court Abuja.
The Plaintiff (Kanu) contends that as of the date of the malicious statements (6/7/2025), no court of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria has convicted him of any offence involving the killing of security personnel or acts of terrorism, rendering the defendant’s assertions factually incorrect and malicious.
He maintained that the defendant’s (Omokri) publication constitutes prejudicial commentary on the plaintiff’s pending judicial proceedings, amounting to contempt of court and a violation of the plaintiff’s right to a fair hearing and presumption of innocence under Section 36 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1990 (an amended).
He demands general damages in the sum of N50,000,000,000 for defamation, including injury to reputation, emotional distress, and prejudice to ongoing judicial proceedings.
Aggravated damages in the sum of 10,000,000,000.00 for the malicious and reckless publication of false statements by the defendant.
He wants the court to order the defendant to publish a full retraction of the defamatory statements in two national newspapers and on the defendant’s Twitter/X account within seven days of the court judgment.
He asked the court to order the defendant to publish a public apology to him in two national newspapers and on the defendant’s Twitter/X account, admitting to the misrepresentation of facts.
He seeks a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, their agents, privies, or assigns from further publishing or disseminating defamatory or prejudicial statements about him without lawful justification.
