Olaseinde Gbenga, Abuja
The wife of late Chief MKO Abiola, Prof. Zainab Abiola, has dragged the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged defamation.
Recall that Zainab was recently arrested for molesting a female officer.
In the suit with number FHA/ABJ/CS/2370/202 and filed by her lawyer, Tawo Tawo (SAN), she accused the Police of violating her rights to life and the dignity of the human person.
The plaintiff claimed in her statement on Sunday that she had been falsely accused of inflicting harm on her former orderly, Inspector Moses, on September 20, 2022, by the IGP’s adopted son, Ibrahim Alkali.
According to her, “he (Ibrahim Alkali) conspired with my ex-orderly to lie that I inflicted bodily harm on her. We have CCTV cameras around that will reveal what happened when the proceedings commenced,” she said.
Zainab further said since she was humiliated, dragged to court, and condemned by the court of public opinion, her personality and image had been irredeemably battered by the defamation, and assassination of character, thereby diminishing her status in society.
“She noted that the aforementioned incident has caused me so much damage, trauma, and ill-health, and has reduced my standing and recognition in a global society, despite the fact that I have attained an international reputation,” she said.
Meanwhile, Abiola, in the writ of summons, prayed the court for a declaration that the act of the Police against her and other plaintiffs caused her a series of nightmares, as she is in constant fear for her life.
The plaintiff, therefore, asked the court to order the defendants to pay her N100billion as damages for defamation, shame, ridicule, harassment, trauma, humiliation, and public embarrassment meted out to her by the police.