An Abuja-based media consultant and former newspaper editor, Simon Imobo-Tswam, has sued Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, for libel, mischief and the unauthorized use of his name, phone number and platform for image-laundering.

In a lawsuit filed at a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Imobo-Tswam seeks N1 billion from the minister as “general and compensatory damages.” According to the plaintiff, Ms. Alison-Madueke and her media agents illegally used his name, his mobile telephone number and the official letterhead of his group, Network of Progressive Activists (NPA), to launch a media attack against former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In addition, according to the plaintiff, the minister and her hirelings exploited his name and group in defending the minister’s alleged questionable spending of N10 billion to charter jets.

Apart from the Petroleum Minister, other defendants are Michael Mukwuzi, Timothy Ademola, ThisDay newspapers, Tokunbo Adedoja, Vanguard newspapers, Chioma Gabriel, and Anozie Egole.

One of the defendants, Mr. Mukwuzi, works with the media department at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) while another, Mr. Ademola, is the executive assistant to the special assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on youth and student matters, as well as the national coordinator of NPA.

In addition to urging Justice M.M. Kolo to award N1 billion, the plaintiff, who is represented by Chris Alashi, also wants the court to order the defendants pay interest of 18% on the judgment award.

Mr. Imobo-Tswam also wants the defendants to apologize to him, with the apology published in the Vanguard and ThisDay.

The lawsuit claims that the defendants “maliciously, malevolently, mischievously and wickedly ascribed/attributed to the plaintiff” opinions that “embarrassed, injured and devastatingly damaged the Plaintiff, and cast him in bad light before well-meaning members of the public and most particularly patriotic Nigerians.”

Read More: saharareporters