Businessman threatens N2b lawsuit against police over alleged defamatory post

A business, Mr Chinedu Ernest Nwaka, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, accusing the police of defaming his character and threatening legal action.

Through his lawyers, Dorminus Attorneys, Nwaka is demanding N2 billion in damages for what he described as a defamatory social media post by the police on November 27, 2024.

The post, shared on a police officers X handle, labelled him a “serial fraudster” and alleged his involvement in fraud amounting to N320 million. Nwaka contends that this portrayal of him as a criminal is baseless, as he has not been convicted by any court.

At a press conference in Lagos, Nwaka’s lawyer, Chris Ejima Johnson, accused the police of overstepping their bounds by assuming the role of a court of law. He described the publication as defamatory and intended to tarnish his client’s reputation, thereby lowering his standing among right-thinking members of the public.

The petition to the IGP demands the removal of the post, a public apology in two national newspapers, and the payment of N2 billion as damages. Johnson stated that failure to meet these demands within 48 hours would compel his client to seek redress in court.

Johnson further claimed that Nwaka is a victim of a failed business deal, a fact he said the police were aware of.

“To set the records straight, our client has never been convicted of fraud or any criminal activity by any court,” Johnson said. “The police have abdicated their statutory role to investigate crimes and instead turned into social media content creators, subjecting our client to a media trial and self-imposed conviction.”

He added, “They have no power in law to declare anyone a fraudster or criminal without proper arraignment, prosecution, and conviction by a competent court.”