A ten billion naira defamation suit has been filed against a Civil Society Group, Oduduwa Transparency Network, at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
The suit was filed by MSM Group Limited, a business conglomerate that against the civil society group and its president, Mahmud Adebayo, who are both listed
as defendants.
The legal action was sequel to a press conference held on August 6 by Adebayo in which he claimed, without evidence, that the MSM Group was being used by a former NNPCL GMD to divert alleged $2.8 billion stolen NNPCL refinery funds into a cement production venture.
The Group had called on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the source of the $2.4 billion cement investment being made by the MSM Group.
Court documents filed by the Claimant Claimed the allegations were false and unfounded and asked the court to grant an order within 48 hours for an unreserved and unequivocal retraction of the malicious and defamatory publication made against the Claimant.
While asking the court for ten billion naira (N10,000,000,000.00) as damages, It also asked for an order of perpetual injunction against the civil society group or their agents from further circulation of the damaging false allegations.
Although no date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter, the Claimant described the allegations as very clear defamatory accusations which portrayed the business group as being involved in fraud, money laundering and diversion of public funds.
