Gen Danjuma files N1bn defamation lawsuit against Taraba pastor

Retired General Theophilus Danjuma has initiated a N1 billion defamation lawsuit against Pastor Paul Rika of the Holiness Revival Ministry Worldwide.

The legal action follows allegations made in Rika’s book titled “God’s Message To Kuteb Tribe And Indigenes Of Taraba State,” which Danjuma claims defamed his character.

Through his lawyer, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), Danjuma issued a seven-day ultimatum for the preacher to retract the statements made in the book.

In a memorandum dated September 27, Danjuma stated that the book’s contents, highlighted by some of his mentees who brought it to his attention, harmed his reputation and jeopardized his business dealings on both national and international levels.

Danjuma’s complaint focuses on specific sections of the book that he argues ridicule and defame him, portraying him in a negative light before his friends and colleagues.

He is seeking a N1 billion settlement for the damage caused to his reputation, alongside a public retraction of the alleged libelous statements.

The letter read, “Our client’s attention was drawn to a Book titled: “God’s Message to Kuteb Tribe and Indigenes of Taraba State” (the Book), written by Pastor Paul Rika and published by HOREMOW Printing Press, which was availed to him through some of his mentees who had purchased the book and read it.

“Upon receiving a copy of the book, to his utter dismay, he discovered several heinous allegations made against him. The contents of the book particularly at pages: 9, 13, 14, I5, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 4 I, 42, 56, 58, 59, 6I, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 76, 83, 84, 85, 86, 90, 9I and 94, impugn our client’s good reputation, demonize him, and portray him as a wicked, mischievous, evil, and anti-democratic person.”

Danjuma said that the statements contained in the book were reckless, ill-advised, and highly defamatory of him without any respect for his hard-earned reputation in Taraba and Nigeria at large.

“The defamatory statements which you published of, and concerning our client have caused him great discomfort, embarrassment, and annoyance, and lowered him in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public who have read the book. Since the publication, he has been inundated with calls and other contacts from several people and leaders within and outside Nigeria, who read the book and are disturbed and disappointed.

“Our client, being a revered octogenarian who has dedicated his life to the service of humanity is greatly distressed by your defamatory publication because of his reputation built by a labour of many decades has been assaulted and jolted by your insensitive, malicious, and contemptuous false publication.

“Accordingly, our client has instructed us to commence legal proceedings against you and the Holiness Revival Ministry Worldwide [as defendants]to seek appropriate judicial remedies,” the letter added.

The lawyers said remedies being sought include the defendant to within 90 days print, publish, and distribute a second edition of the book and apologise to Danjuma for all the “false statements published of and concerning him in the first edition.”

Also general damages in the sum of NI,000,000,000.00 for the defamatory statements published of and concerning the claimant on those pages and as an option for settlement within seven days.

The retired general also wants the respondent to submit to this office a written undertaking that within 90 days of the date of the undertaking, he “will print, publish, and distribute a second edition of the book retracting all those libelous statements.”