Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has filed a N60 billion lawsuit against social critic Reno Omokri for alleged defamatory and prejudicial statements made against him.
The suit was filed on July 31, 2025, at the Enugu State High Court, with Kanu acting both for himself and IPOB as the plaintiff, while Omokri is the sole defendant. Kanu’s lawyer, P.N. Agazie, had earlier served a pre-action notice on July 10, demanding that Omokri retract the statements, issue a public apology in two national newspapers, and undertake to desist from further defamatory publications. The social critic did not respond, prompting the suit.
According to court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Omokri posted on his X account on July 6, 2025, alleging that Kanu and IPOB were responsible for the killings of security personnel including police and military officers. Omokri also accused Kanu and IPOB’s Eastern Security Network (ESN) of involvement in terrorist activities and violence attributed to unknown gunmen in Nigeria’s South-east.
Kanu’s suit contends that the statements are false, baseless, and defamatory, damaging his reputation and exposing him to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule. The suit also argues that Omokri’s comments interfere with Kanu’s ongoing terrorism trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja and violate his constitutional right to a fair hearing and presumption of innocence.
As of the filing date, no Nigerian court has convicted Kanu of terrorism or related crimes involving the killing of security operatives, the suit states.
Kanu is seeking N50 billion in general damages for reputational harm, emotional distress, and prejudice to his judicial proceedings, alongside N10 billion in aggravated damages for what he describes as malicious and reckless publications by Omokri.
Additionally, the plaintiff requests that the court order Omokri to publish a retraction of the defamatory statements in two national newspapers and on his social media platforms within seven days of judgment. He also demands a public apology and a perpetual injunction restraining Omokri and associates from further defamatory publications.
The court has not yet scheduled a hearing date.
Kanu has been on trial for terrorism at the Federal High Court in Abuja since his controversial repatriation from Kenya in June 2021. IPOB, advocating for an independent Biafra state carved out from Nigeria’s South-east and South-south regions, has been linked to several deadly attacks in these areas. The group denies involvement, though some gunmen responsible for violence have been connected to IPOB.
