A former Commissioner for Information in Abia State, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, has been issued a 7-day ultimatum to retract alleged defamatory statements he published on Facebook against Sir Kenneth Ahia, SAN, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
In a letter signed by the Law Offices of Adedeji & Owotomo, LLP, Chief Okiyi was also directed to pay ₦500 million in damages and fulfill other conditions stated in the legal notice.
According to the letter, Chief Okiyi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had published a confidential official document of the Abia State Government which was addressed to the law chambers of Sir Ken Ahia, SAN.
The law firm, acting on behalf of their client, stated:
“We act for Mr. Kenneth Ahia, SAN, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, gentleman, and legal practitioner of thirty-seven (37) years of unblemished service to the legal profession and the public.
He is the Managing Partner of Ken Ahia, SAN & Associates and has, over the decades, earned a reputation for integrity, diligence, and professional excellence.”
The firm noted that their client’s attention was drawn to Chief Okiyi’s October 24, 2025 publication titled “Abia: Surreptitious Tenfold Increase in Governor’s Approval Limit is Evil,” which was circulated across various social media platforms.
In the said post, Okiyi allegedly wrote that:
“When Governor Alex Otti signed off ₦50 million for his personal lawyer and friend, Ken Ahia SAN, ostensibly for negotiating a contract with Julius Berger…”
The letter further stated that Chief Okiyi insinuated that the payment was made without due process and described Ahia as a “chummy” or “business partner” who benefited from official favouritism and abuse of office.
According to the legal representatives, these statements were false, malicious, and damaging to the reputation of a respected legal practitioner:
“Your publication falsely and maliciously imputed that our client engaged in corruption, abuse of privilege, and unethical conduct, thereby casting grave aspersions on his integrity and professional reputation.”
The firm clarified that Sir Kenneth Ahia was formally and lawfully engaged by the Abia State Government to provide specialized legal services for construction contracts involving due process and negotiations. The ₦50 million professional fee, they said, was legitimately earned, duly approved, and in line with standard procedures.
They emphasized that the said fee was significantly below what is ordinarily chargeable by Senior Advocates of similar standing for such complex legal work.
The letter also condemned the publication of a confidential invoice submitted by Ahia’s chambers to the Abia State Government, describing it as a breach of confidentiality and violation of constitutional rights:
“By publishing or reproducing that confidential correspondence, you have violated Sections 37 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantee the right to privacy and correspondence.”
The firm added that the act constituted an actionable breach of confidence, invasion of privacy, and clear evidence of malice, thereby aggravating the damages that may be claimed against Chief Okiyi.
Promise Uzoma Okoro
