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By Lukman Olabiyi
Former Supervisory Councilor to the chairman, Kosofe Local Government on Boundary Matters, Ganiyu Oyebanjo has revealed the reason behind his petition against the council boss, Moyo Ogunlewe.
Oyebanjo gave the reason in his statement of defence to the N500 millions libel suit filed against him and two others by
Ogunlewe at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.
Other joined in the suit as defendants by claimant are: Ashiroff Oyebanjo and Ibrahim Oyebanjo.
In Suit No: ID/12984GCW/2025, Ogunlewe is seeking N500 million in damages over petitions written by the defendants to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which he claimed defamed his character and threatened his political career.
The claimant is also asking the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents or associates from further publishing any statements, articles, letters, press releases or notices concerning him.
According to an affidavit attached to the suit, Ogunlewe described the third defendant, Ganiyu Oyebanjo, as a former Supervisory Councillor on Revenue at Kosofe LG. He identified Ibrahim Oyebanjo as Ganiyu’s brother and Ashiroff Oyebanjo as his son.
Ogunlewe alleged that between January 2024 and March 2025, several publications emerged from petitions authored by the third defendant and submitted to anti-graft agencies, which he described as “falsehoods” that malign his reputation.
He further claimed that the contents of the petitions portrayed him as a corrupt politician and fraudster, thereby damaging his image and political standing.
However, in their Statement of Defence, the defendants denied all allegations of wrongdoing, admitting that petitions were indeed written to the EFCC and ICPC.
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The third defendant maintained that the petitions were submitted in good faith and in line with his public duty, stating that they addressed actions he reasonably believed contravened existing laws and required investigation.
He argued that his actions were carried out under his authority as a Supervisory Councillor in Kosofe LG, in accordance with Section 5.3 of the Guidelines on Administrative Procedure for Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, 2015.
The defendants also denied publishing any defamatory material or portraying the claimant as a corrupt individual, fraudster, or criminal as alleged.
They urged the court to dismiss the suit, describing it as incompetent.
Among their grounds, they argued that the petitions to anti-graft agencies were protected by absolute privilege.
They also contended that the court lacks jurisdiction under the Freedom of Information Act 2011 Nigeria, which protects disclosures made in public interest concerning mismanagement, abuse of authority, or threats to public safety.
Additionally, the defendants argued that the suit does not disclose any reasonable cause of action.
In his reply, Ogunlewe insisted that while the defendants have the right to petition relevant authorities, such actions must not include false and defamatory statements.
He maintained that the alleged dissemination of libellous claims has caused significant harm to his personal reputation and political interests.
The matter is currently pending before Justice Adenike Shonubi.
