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 deals in Oil and Gas, cement, power and shipping, against the civil society group and its president, Mahmud Adebayo, who are both listed as defendants.
The legal action was prompted by 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 civil society group 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 on behalf of MSM Group by Simplified Legal Chambers and signed by Prince O. Aniukwu, Esq., Sahabiddeen Musa Isa, Esq., and Khalifa Ibrahim Shuaibu, Esq. 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.”
They’re also asking for an order of perpetual injunction against the civil society group or their agents from further circulation of the damaging false allegations.
They 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.
The intent of the press conference by the defendants, they claimed, was to “instigate malicious prosecution against the Claimant and incite public hate and disrupt the legitimate business activities of the Claimant.”
In the Proof of Malice filed by its counsel, the MSM Group is described as engaging globally in providing integrated system-based solutions in the fields of secure technologies, Phone manufacturing, FinTech, Agricultural bio-inputs, Automobile manufacturing, Energy and E-governance, besides it interests in oil and gas, cement and power.
The MSM Group is also known to be amongst the most experienced independent technology and system organizations operating in developing solutions for the common citizen and positioning the nation positively on the global map, and its ambition is to be an industry leader providing sustainable development through innovative solutions to client’s needs globally.
It stated that the press conference by Adebayo was done to disparage the Claimant’s integrity and credit in the eye of the public, and expose it “to public hatred, ridicule, scandal, odium and contempt.”
The court documents claim that the funding for the cement venture by the MSM Group came from the US Stock Exchange and strategic arrangement with Chinese partners.
The group is seeking ten billion naira (N10,000,000,000.00) as damages.
