Publisher Of PRNigeria Slams N500m Libel Suit Against Terrence Kuanum

BY GRACE ANYANWU, ABUJA – The publisher of PRNigeria, Mallam Yushau Shuaib, has slammed a N500 million libel suit against one Terrence Kuanum, over libelous publications made against him.

Yushau is claiming the N500 million from the defendant as general and exemplary damages for defamation of his character through publications in several online media on February 1, 2020.

The suit instituted before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, Yushau, as plaintiff through his legal counsel, Mr Yunus AbdulSalam, is praying the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant by himself or his agents from further writing, printing or causing to be printed or circulated any similar libelous materials against him.

He further applied for an order of the court compelling the defendant to tender a public apology in at least two national dailies with wide circulation in Nigeria and to retract the alleged libelous and offending publications against him.

Yushau in the suit said that the defendant published libelous publications against him by calling him an empathizer and spy proxy for the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists group as well as Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP).

In the writ of summons with reference number CV/1705/2020 dated June 3, 2020, and issued against the defendant, the plaintiff claimed that the libelous words against his reputation and public image were contained in a rejoinder entitled: “A Rejoinder to An Impenitent Boko Haram Empathizer, Yushau Shuaib Spleen in Memo to President Buhari on Service Chiefs” published by the Authority newspapers online.

He further said that he was libeled by the defendant in another publication with the caption: “A Rejoinder to Shuaib’s Memo to President Buhari on Service Chiefs” published by the Cable newspapers online.

In his Statement of Claim, Yushau, who is a graduate of Mass Communication from Bayero University, Kano and Master’s Degree holder in Public Relations from the University of Westminster, London, said that he had bagged several national and international awards including presidential NYSC honour and automatic employments at State and Federal civil service in the course of his duties.

The plaintiff claimed that on January 28, 2020, he wrote a widely published article entitled: “Memo to President Buhari on Service Chiefs” published by The Punch, Premium Times, SaharaReporters and Daily Post newspapers.

In the said article Shuaib claimed that he had argued for the present Service Chiefs to be let go when the ovation is still audible and after giving the best of their skills to the nation while also allowing a smooth progression in service through promotion of other competent military officers, adding that his position was anchored on the necessity of enabling a new cadre of officers to come through in the national security architecture if the war on terror must be won.

However, Yushau further claimed that to his surprise, few days after, he came across several online publications where he found the offending article targeted at him by Terrence.

He said that the publications damaged his professional reputation and caused him considerable distress, embarrassment and also exposed him to hatred, odium, contempt, scorn and isolation by colleagues and associates.

He said that his name was directly mentioned and described as terrorists’ empathizer and spy proxy, stressing that the information in the defendants’ publications was false, malicious and defaming with the sole aim of maligning and destroying his hard-earned reputation, goodwill and good standing in the Nigerian media community.

Besides, the plaintiff averred that he has suffered irreparable personal and economic injury in his business because the defendant maliciously referred to him as “Shuaib is only a quack reporter.”

The plaintiff asked the court to grant him all his reliefs against the defendant as he pleaded several documents including the printout of the offending publications to be relied upon during the hearing of the case.

No date has yet been fixed for hearing of the matter.