Alex Saab: Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili Threatens To Sue Media Personality, Japheth Omojuwa Over Alleged Impersonation

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has written a letter to media personality and writer, Japheth Omojuwa, for alleged impersonation.

In a letter written by her lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, on behalf of Falana and Falana chambers, the former minister is demanding a public explanation and apology from him for enlisting her as one of the directors of his media company, Alpha Reach, without her consent and approval.

Ezekwesili’s enlistment was revealed in an explosive report by a foreign medium, BuzzFeed, which showed the revealed the role of Omojuwa and some other Nigerian influencers allegedly played in the social media campaign calling for the release of alleged money launderer, Alex Saab.

Saab is a Colombian who has been declared wanted in the United States and is facing extradition charges in Cape Verde.

Following an intensive social media campaign that began in January, some of the influencers had their accounts suspended by Twitter for using their platforms to manipulating the app.

According to BuzzFeed, #FreeAlexSaab which was majorly promoted on Twitter was thanks to “a broad influence operation with connections to employees of a Nigerian PR firm and a UK-based nonprofit called Digital Good Governance for Africa. The campaign paid influencers to tweet about Saab in an effort to sway public opinion and court proceedings in Nigeria and Cape Verde, the African island nation where Saab is currently under house arrest.”

The report stated that five sources with knowledge of the Saab campaign said that 40 Nigerian influencers, which have more than a million followers in total, were recruited to participate by at least two employees of Alpha Reach, a PR firm run by Japheth “JJ” Omojuwa.

Omojuwa told BuzzFeed News that “a friend in the UK” connected to the Saab campaign contacted him, and that he declined to participate — aside from posting a few supportive tweets.

Documents circulating online show that Omojuwa’s company, which was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2012, has Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, and Ezekwesili as directors.

El-Rufai is believed to be a mentor to Omojuwa and was also the special guest of honour at the launch of his book in 2019.

However, Ezekwesili, who is the Co-Convener of Bring Back Our Girls Group, said Omojuwa expressed shock at being listed as a director in the country, saying he must issue an apology to her and a public statement for using her identity without permission.

On the strange matter of being listed as a director of Alpha Reach ⁦@cacnigeria1⁩ , here’s the letter of my lawyers, Falana and Falana Chambers to ⁦@Omojuwa⁩ for explanation and public apology. The lawyers have also requested information from CAC on this anomaly. ✍🏾 pic.twitter.com/zw9tHaeel0

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) April 9, 2021

The letter titled, ‘Complaint Over Fraudulent Use of the Name of Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili as a Director of the Alpha Reach Limited RC no: 1066507 Incorporated in 2012 Demand for Full Disclosure and Public Apology’ is dated April 9, 2021.

According to the letter, sometime in 2012, Alpha Reach Limited was incorporated at the CAC as a construction company and had listed as Directors; Omojuwa, Damilola Ogunleye, el-Rufai Nasir, and Ezekwesili Obiageli.

In 2017, a notice of change of directors (Form CAC7A) was filed through which the list of directors were altered and the name of Ezekwesili removed as a director and replaced with that of Indimi Ahmed Mohammed, the son-in-law to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The letter further stated that sometime in March 2021, someone from Buzzfeed called Ezekwesili to inform her that she was listed as a director of Alpha Reach Limited alongside el-Rufai and Omojuwa.

The lawyer said Ezekwesili was surprised when Buzzfeed supplied a CAC document showing that she was indeed a director at the firm.

The lawyer, therefore, gave Omojuwa an ultimatum to immediately apologise and issue a statement or face legal action.

It reads;

On account of the foregoing, we have the firm mandate and instruction of our client to demand the following: That you upon receipt of this correspondence cause to be issued a public statement/apology exonerating our client from the incorporation process and activities of the Alpha Reach Limited.

That you give a detailed account (to our client via correspondence) the circumstances leading to the incorporation of Alpha Reach Limited and attach the Certified True Copies of all the incorporation documents submitted at the Corporate Affairs Commission in the course of registering the said company.

It is our hope that you accede to the foregoing request forthwith otherwise we shall be left with no choice but to employ all legal avenue (s) to seek redress.

Following this, some social media users have claimed Omojuwa probably forged her signature and submitted her ID card without her consent for her to be listed as a director without her knowledge.

However, Omojuwa in a statement said Ezekwesili was never a director at his firm.

The blogger also maintained that his firm played no part in the controversial social media campaign.

He expressed;

Alpha Reach as an organisation was not involved in the campaign making the rounds. On another note, Alpha Reach wishes to state that at no time was Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, a part-owner of Alpha Reach and she is not a member of Alpha Reach board.

See the letter written through her counsel to Omojuwa below;