Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has filed a N10 billion lawsuit against the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma.
Mr Kanu’s lawyer, Maxwell Opara, filed the suit at the Abuja High Court on 14 August on behalf of the IPOB leader.
The suit was dated 12 August 2025.
Mr Kanu accused Mr Danjuma of making a defamatory publication against him and IPOB by issuing a press statement on 25 July in which he attributed recent killings in Imo communities to IPOB and its armed militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Aside from the N10 billion in general damages, Mr Kanu also demanded an award of N50 million as exemplary damages against the police commissioner.
IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.
More prayers
Mr Kanu, in a writ of summons marked: CV3179/2025, sought an award of 10 per cent post-judgement interest per annum on the entire judgement sum from the date of judgement till the date it would be fully liquidated.
The IPOB leader prayed for a declaration that Mr Danjuma’s press release published on 25 July, “attributing the gruesome killings in Imo communities to IPOB/ESN members is false, unsubstantiated, speculative and defamatory.”
He asked the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the defendant, whether by himself or officers of the Nigeria Police Force, from further making such or similar defamatory statements.
“An order of this honourable court directing the defendant to issue a public retraction and apology to the claimant in at least two national dailies and on national television,” he further requested.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that while Mr Kanu is the claimant, Mr Danjuma is the sole defendant in the suit.
Kanu’s grouse against the police commissioner
Mr Kanu alleged in his statement of claims that on or about 25 July, Mr Danjuma, within two hours of an attack at Ndi-Ejezie, Umualaoma and Ndiakuwata Uno in Arondizuogu, Ideato Local Government Area, issued a press release published by mainstream media.
The IPOB leader stressed that the police commissioner in the press release “falsely and maliciously attributed the gruesome killings in these Imo State communities to members of IPOB/ESN.”
He said the police chief claimed that “IPOB under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu orchestrated the attacks- gruesome killings in Imo communities.”
Mr Kanu argued that the press release came at the time the IPOB had appealed the controversial ex parte judicial proceeding declaring it a terrorist group at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“Hence, the order is subject to appellate scrutiny making any reliance on it a matter sub judice (lis pendis),” he said.
The IPOB leader noted that he was still standing trial at the Federal High Court on an allegation of terrorism and that “the said trial is pending and undecided.”
He said the police commissioner’s pronouncements were made while the matter was sub judice and therefore prejudicial to his fair trial rights.
“The claimant avers that the false statement by the defendant was made without proper investigation, evidence or credible intelligence as no arrest or criminal prosecution has been initiated after the press release,” he stated.
Mr Kanu argued that the statements allegedly made by Mr Danjuma had caused serious damage to his reputation nationally and internationally.
“The claimant contends that the statements made by the defendant were defamatory, false and actuated by malice, and intended to sway public opinion against him and IPOB,” he added.
Background
The Nigerian government, in 2017, proscribed IPOB and designated it as a terrorist organisation, barely five years after Mr Kanu founded the separatist group.
Since the prescription, the Nigerian government, particularly the country’s security operatives, including police and the military, have continued to blame IPOB and its armed militant wing, ESN, for growing attacks and killings in the South-east and South-south Nigeria.
But IPOB has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.
Even after a high court in Enugu State in 2023 nullified the Nigerian government’s proscription and designation of IPOB as a terrorist organisation, attribution of criminality in the two regions to the group and ESN did not cease.
However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, in January 2025, affirmed the proscription of IPOB and its designation as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Kanu was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on 13 October 2022, held that the IPOB leader was extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and that the action was a flagrant violation of the country’s extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights.
The court, therefore, struck out the terrorism charges filed against Mr Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the facility of the State Security Service.
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But the government refused to release the IPOB leader, insisting that he (Kanu) could be unavailable in subsequent court proceedings if released and that his release would cause insecurity in the South-east, where he comes from.
The government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, later appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order staying the execution of the court judgement at the Supreme Court.
Delivering judgement on the appeal on 15 December 2023, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr Kanu by the lower court and consequently ordered continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court Abuja.
On 19 June 2025, the Nigerian government closed its case against the IPOB leader after the 5th prosecution witness was led in evidence and cross-examined by Mr Kanu’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court has yet to deliver judgement on the matter.