The Chief Law Officer of Edo State, Professor Roland Itoyah Otaru, SAN, FCIARB, has threatened legal action against social media platforms and forums over alleged defamatory publications concerning him.
“In a letter titled ‘Re: Incessant Defamation of Professor Roland Itoyah Otaru, SAN, FCIARB,’ his solicitor, Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq., accused certain social media forums, including Edo Political Forum on Facebook, of providing platforms for the publication of statements allegedly intended to damage his client’s reputation.”
The letter described Professor Otaru as a respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria and legal practitioner with a longstanding reputation in the legal profession.
According to the solicitor, the allegations circulating against his client are false and have negatively affected his reputation, which he said the professor had built over several decades.
The letter further denied allegations linking Professor Otaru to gangs or the extraction of mineral resources in Ikpeshi, stating that his client’s role as Chief Law Officer of Edo State is focused on matters relating to the administration of justice in the state.
Consequently, Ogbankwa demanded that the platforms concerned immediately cease and desist from publishing what he described as defamatory comments against his client and issue an unreserved apology.
The solicitor gave the recipients seven days from the date of the letter to comply, warning that failure to do so could result in legal proceedings seeking damages of ₦2 billion. The letter also indicated that the action could be brought against the recipients jointly and severally.
The threat of legal action underscores the continuing tension between concerns over reputational harm and the use of social media platforms to discuss public figures and matters of public interest.
