The legal fireworks have begun as Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), takes a bold step from behind bars—suing controversial social media commentator and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, for defamation.
Filed before the Enugu High Court, the lawsuit is anything but subtle. Kanu is demanding a whopping ₦60 billion in damages over what his team calls “highly defamatory and prejudicial publications” made by Omokri online and in public statements.
According to the suit, ₦50 billion is being sought as general damages for harm to Kanu’s reputation, emotional distress, and impact on his ongoing legal trials. An additional ₦10 billion is requested as aggravated damages for what the court filing describes as “malicious and reckless” falsehoods.
But the demands don’t end with money. Kanu also wants the court to compel Omokri to publish a retraction and apology in two national newspapers and on his widely followed Twitter/X account. And to make sure it doesn’t happen again, Kanu is asking for a perpetual injunction to prevent Omokri—or his associates—from ever publishing such content again.
His Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed the suit on social media, warning others to tread carefully. “Others like Omokri should take note and be guided,” Ejimakor wrote on X.
The move has already stirred heated reactions online, sparking debates about freedom of expression, defamation, and the boundaries of political commentary—especially in Nigeria’s charged social media space.
