EFCC Boss, Larmode Slams N1 Billion Libel Suit On Sun Newspaper

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, October 12th, 2015

By Ayo Balogun

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Larmode has sued the management of The Daily Sun newspaper N1 billion over alleged libelous publication.

The case filed at the High Court in Abuja, Larmode, who is the plaintiff said the Sun (Defendant) malicious published a news story to spoil his reputation which he had built over the years in the fight against corruption as the EFCC boss.

In the case filed on Monday through his counsel, Festus Keyamo, the Plaintiff avers that as a function of his position, he is at the forefront of the fight against corruption in Nigeria and he has successfully investigated and prosecuted several corrupt individuals in Nigeria.

The Plaintiff further avers that as a result of his exceptional career, he has received several awards and commendations from organizations across the world and is recognized by international organizations as a leading light on Nigeria’s fight against corruption and that in its Daily Sun Newspaper of Thursday, 8th October, 2015, the Defendant falsely and maliciously caused to be printed and published the following words of and concerning the Plaintiff: “N1 Trn Looted Funds: Larmode, EFCC Boss in Soup”

The plaintiff said the said words in the publication natural and ordinary meaning meant and was understood to mean that: He (the Plaintiff) is a fraudulent and corrupt civil servant who engages in diversion of monies belonging to the government and that the Plaintiff is a bad and corrupt leader who encourages his operatives to collect bribes from suspects and that the Plaintiff is a hypocrite whose fraudulent activities date back to 2003 when he was Director of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Larmode avers that the libelous publication by the defendant was widely circulated and read by millions of people in the world and particularly in Nigeria where the Plaintiff has several associates, friends, family and professional colleagues.

The Plaintiff further submitted that by reason of the publication, the Plaintiff has been seriously injured in his character, credit, reputation and integrity and had been brought to public scandal, odium and contempt and has suffered damage.

The Plaintiff also avers that immediately after the publication was released, he received numerous telephone calls from professional colleagues, international donor agencies, multinational organisations, relations, friends and religious leaders expressing their utmost disgust and contempt at the Plaintiff’s alleged disgraceful, unpatriotic and sacrilegious conducts and questioned the integrity of the Plaintiff.

He said the spurious allegations made by the defendant were untrue and actuated by malice with intent to malign and undermine the his reputation.

“The allegations in the publication are false and untrue. The Defendants did not conduct any investigation into the truth of the allegations before publishing them. The Defendant did not offer the Plaintiff any opportunity to respond to the allegations before publishing them. By publishing the allegations in a sensational screaming headline, the Defendant evinced the intention to malign the Plaintiff and drag his reputation in the mud,” the plaintiff said.

According to the plaintiff, he had suffered tremendous damage to his reputation and that if the Defendant is not restrained, it would further publish injurious articles against the him.

Wherefore, the Plaintiff is claiming the sum of N1 billion being damages for the words published of and concerning the Plaintiff which are libelous by direct reference and innuendo contained at the front page and page 6 of the Daily Sun of 8th October, 2015.

He also sought a retraction and an unreserved apology by the Defendants for the news story

The Plaintiff is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant whether by itself, its agents, privies or servants from further publishing or causing to be published any libelous, injurious or defamatory words against the Plaintiff and for such further order or other orders as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.