The looters list released by Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on behalf of the Federal Government on Good Friday, March 30 and Easter Sunday, April 1 are already resonating even beyond the shores of the nation.
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bigwig, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, revealed this when he confirmed that his United States visa was revoked as a result of being named in the inglorious list.
He subsequently sued the minister, demanding N5 billion in damages.
He is also demanding a retraction and a public apology, which must be published in national dailies, on television and on social media.
Dokpesi, who is the founder of Daar Communications, said that the Federal Government forwarded his name to the US Embassy as appearing on its looters list and the embassy contacted him on March 16 that his visa was revoked as a result of being so named by the government.
He described FG’s move as malicious and designed to tarnish his image, especially as a competent court of jurisdiction has yet to convict him of the charges levelled against him by the Federal Government.
In the suit filed through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the PDP chieftain is seeking a perpetual injunction against the Federal Government from further defaming him through similar publications, demanding N50 million as cost of filing the suit.
The plaintiff further claimed that the Federal Government violated his right to fair hearing as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution through the publication.
The High Court of the FCT, where the suit was filed on Monday has yet to fix a date for hearing.
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