A top member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Raymond Dokpesi, has reportedly had his United States visa revoked because his name is on the looters list released by the federal government, the media mogul has said.
Dokpesi, the founder of Daar Communication which has two radio stations and the African Independent Television, has sued Lai Mohammed, the nation’s information minister, who announced the list recently.
He is now seeking payment of N5billion damages.
It was learnt that no date has been fixed for hearing of the suit filed on Monday, April 30, before the high court of the Federal Capital Territory.
The Nation reports that Dokpesi said the defendants allegedly sent his name as a looter to the United States Embassy, which in turn notified him on March 16 that his visa had been revoked.
According to him, the US Embassy said it was because his name was among a looters list submitted to it by the federal government arguing that the publication of his name as a looter was malicious since he has not been convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction.
The politician wants a retraction and apology to him to be published both in the social media and in newspapers and televisions stations.
He also wants an order compelling the defendants, including Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), to publish a full retraction of the defamatory publications and to apologise to him.
The report said a suit by his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), showed Dokpesi also praying for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants or their agents from further making any defamatory publications against him, and N50million as cost of the action.
The argument is that the publications have prejudiced his constitutionally guaranteed rights to presumption of innocence until proven guilty as well as his right to fair hearing as enshrined in the constitution.
“The defendants’ defamatory publications are malicious and calculated to overreach and prejudice my fair trial and for purposes of stampeding and cowing the court to convict me at all cost by agreeing with the defendants’ skewed position,” the plaintiff said.
