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Detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu has filed a ₦60 billion defamation lawsuit against political commentator and former presidential aide Reno Omokri. Kanu accuses Omokri of making false and damaging claims linking him and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to violent attacks in Nigeria’s South-East.
The suit was filed on July 31, 2025, at the Enugu State High Court, with Kanu suing both on his own behalf and on behalf of IPOB. Omokri is named as the sole defendant.
According to court documents obtained by Premium Times, Kanu who is currently facing terrorism-related charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja alleges that Omokri defamed him in a July 6 post on X (formerly Twitter). In that post, Omokri reportedly claimed that Kanu and IPOB were behind killings of security personnel and were linked to “unknown gunmen” operating in the region. Omokri also allegedly accused IPOB’s Eastern Security Network (ESN) of engaging in terrorist activity.
Kanu’s legal team, led by P.N. Agazie, said a pre-action notice was served to Omokri on July 10, demanding a retraction, public apology in two national newspapers, and a written undertaking not to repeat the allegations. When Omokri failed to respond, Kanu proceeded with the lawsuit.
“The said statements are false, baseless, prejudicial, and defamatory,” Kanu stated in the court filing. “They portray the plaintiff as a criminal and terrorist, causing damage to his reputation, subjecting him to public hatred and ridicule, and prejudicing his ongoing court proceedings.”
Kanu emphasized that he has not been convicted by any Nigerian court for terrorism or the killing of security forces. He also argued that Omokri’s comments amount to contempt of court and violate his constitutional right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence under Section 36(5) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
He is seeking:
- ₦50 billion in general damages for reputational harm and emotional distress
- ₦10 billion in aggravated damages for what he describes as a malicious publication
- A public retraction and apology within seven days of judgment, to be published in two national newspapers and on Omokri’s X account
- A perpetual injunction restraining Omokri and his associates from making or circulating similar defamatory statements
As of now, the court has not set a date for hearing the case.
Nnamdi Kanu was extradited from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 under controversial circumstances and has remained in custody since. IPOB, the group he leads, continues to push for the secession of Nigeria’s South-East and South-South regions under a proposed Biafran state. The group has consistently denied any involvement in violent attacks, despite government claims to the contrary.
