LEGAL NEWS UPDATES 30/05/2022
Impersonation: Kanu’s Family Threatens To Drag Ekpa To Court
Family of detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nmamdi Kanu, has threatened to drag a former member of the pro Biafra group, Simon Ekpa, to court over alleged impersonation.
The Kanu family had, through her counsel, Magnus Johnson, in a letter titled, “Demand to cease and desist from using the name of Nmamdi Kanu for material gain etc”, and addressed to Ekpa, warned him to desist from using the name and image of the IPOB leader, either to do broadcasts or otherwise, for material gains.
The letter written on May 17, 2022 was addressed to Ekpa at his residence, Kauppakatu 6A, 4Krs 15140 Labti, Finland.
It reads in part: “The Kanu family, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora, has retained undersigned to formally demand from you as follows:
“That you should, forthwith, cease and desist from using the name and image of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, either in your broadcasts or otherwise, for any material gain, whatsoever, including any fundraising.
“That you should, forthwith, cease and desist from addressing yourself as a disciple of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, either in the guise of you being a member of IPOB (which we are informed you are not) or in any other manner relating to Biafra agitation.
“That you should, forthwith, cease and desist from any further defamatory publications against any member of the Kanu family, whether such publications are personally uttered by you or by others that you invite to your social media networks.
“That you are hereby given 14 days from the confirmed receipt of this Legal Mail within which to comply with the demands in this letter”.
The Kanu family counsel warned that failure of Ekpa to comply with the demands will result in not only taking legal actions against him, but will also lay a direct criminal complaint against him to Finnish authorities and/or to any European country in which he stays.
Ekpa was also warned that Kanu’s family will be making injunctive claims against him for the civil injuries it suffered as a result of his actions.
Jonsson informed Ekpa that the letter constitutes a pre-action notice, as there will be no further formal warnings before legal actions will commence against him.