By Our Reporter
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has instituted a N50bn lawsuit against The Punch and columnist Sonala Olumhense over what he described as the alleged misrepresentation of court judgments involving him.
Ibrahim, through his counsel, Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), said legal proceedings against the newspaper and the journalist would commence on Monday, March 16, 2026.
The senator accused Olumhense of distorting the facts in a recent article published by The Punch concerning several legal disputes involving him, including matters that reached the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
According to Ibrahim, the article falsely portrayed the outcomes of the cases, insisting that the judgments referenced were delivered in his favour.
He cited cases involving the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria as well as a dispute with Union Bank of Nigeria, which he said resulted in a judgment awarding him over N400bn.
Ibrahim alleged that Olumhense misrepresented the facts of the cases and that The Punch aided the circulation of what he described as a smear campaign against him.
The senator maintained that he possesses documentary evidence showing that he won all the cases referenced in the publication.
Consequently, he is seeking N50bn in damages and vowed to pursue the suit to its logical conclusion.
The dispute followed a commentary by Olumhense published by The Punch, in which the columnist discussed some of the legal battles involving Ibrahim and questioned public narratives surrounding the outcomes of the cases.
The article referenced disputes linked to financial institutions, including matters involving AMCON, and called for closer scrutiny of the court decisions.
However, Ibrahim rejected the claims in the commentary, describing them as misleading and injurious to his reputation, prompting the decision to institute legal action.
