500m Libel Suit Rocks Kosofe LGA  as Chairman, Ex-Aide Clash

Wale Igbintade 

A former Supervisory Councillor on Boundary Matters in Kosofe Local Government, Ganiyu Oyebanjo, has defended his decision to petition Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies against the council chairman, Moyo Ogunlewe, insisting that his actions were taken in good faith and in the discharge of his official duties.

Oyebanjo made this known in his statement of defence filed before the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, in response to a N500 million libel suit instituted against him by Ogunlewe.

The suit, marked ID/12984GCW/2025 and pending before Justice Adenike Shonubi, also names Ashiroff Oyebanjo and Ibrahim Oyebanjo as co-defendants.

Ogunlewe is seeking N500 million in damages over petitions allegedly written by the defendants to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), which he claimed contained defamatory statements that damaged his reputation and threatened his political career.

He is also asking the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, or associates from further publishing any statements or materials concerning him.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, Ogunlewe alleged that between January 2024 and March 2025, the third defendant authored multiple petitions to anti-graft agencies, the contents of which he described as false and malicious.

According to him, the petitions portrayed him as a corrupt politician and fraudster, thereby causing significant reputational harm.

However, in their defence, the defendants denied any wrongdoing, although they admitted submitting petitions to the anti-graft agencies.

Oyebanjo maintained that the petitions were written in good faith and addressed actions he reasonably believed required investigation by relevant authorities.

He argued that his conduct was in line with his responsibilities as a public officer and in accordance with Section 5.3 of the Guidelines on Administrative Procedure for Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, 2015.

The defendants further denied publishing any defamatory material or portraying the claimant as a corrupt individual, fraudster, or criminal, as alleged.

They urged the court to dismiss the suit, describing it as incompetent and lacking merit.

Among the grounds of their defence is the claim that petitions submitted to law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies are protected by absolute privilege and therefore cannot form the basis of a defamation action.

They also relied on the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 Nigeria, arguing that disclosures made in the public interest—particularly those relating to alleged misconduct, abuse of office, or threats to public safety—are legally protected.

In addition, the defendants challenged the jurisdiction of the court, contending that the suit discloses no reasonable cause of action.

In his reply, Ogunlewe maintained that while individuals have the right to petition relevant authorities, such communications must not contain false or defamatory statements.

He insisted that the defendants’ actions amounted to the publication of libellous claims that have caused substantial harm to his personal reputation and political standing.

The case, which raises important legal questions about the limits of whistleblowing and the protection of petitions to anti-graft agencies, is pending before Justice Shonubi.

https://meet.google.com/call?authuser=1&hl=en&mc=KAIwAZoBFDoScGludG9fdjFscXQ4Yms5YzAwogE7GgIQADICUAA6AhABSgQIARABWgIIAGoCCAFyAggBegIIAogBAZIBAhABmgEEGAEgAKIBAhAA4gECCACyAQcYAyAAKgExwgECIAHYAQE&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com&iilm=1775497218057