Seun Oloketuyi, the filmmaker, has alleged a threat to life and criminal defamation, petitioning the police and requesting the prosecution of the Adedibu family.
This follows the Adedibu family’s accusation that the filmmakers produced the film without their consent and misrepresented Adedibu’s private life and political career. They demanded the film’s removal, a public apology and N500 million in damages.
In response, Oloketuyi, through his lawyers, rejected the allegations and demands, arguing that the film drew on publicly available information about Adedibu’s life and political career.
Responding, Adedibu’s family in a letter dated October 12, rejected Oloketuyi’s response, describing it as “condescending and legally flawed”. They maintained that the film invaded the late politician’s privacy and contained false claims about his personal life, marriage and political career.
The lawyers also accused the filmmaker of naming Adedibu’s wife, associates, and friends, alleging “false claims of insubordination and control, dishonesty and corruption”.
The family further accused the filmmaker of “defamation of living relatives, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement and unauthorised commercial use of the late politician’s personality”.
“We shall also file a counter-notification to YouTube attaching this reply showing your admission of using family photos,” the letter reads in part.
“Your threats of injurious falsehood are laughable. Truth is our defence. We have not published anything false about your client. You published falsehood about ours for money.”
However, in a petition dated October 16 and addressed to the Inspector-General of police, Oloketuyi accused Bose Adedibu and other members of her family of threatening his life following the release of the biopic.
He alleged that he had received calls from private numbers threatening to harm him unless he took down the film. They also accused the family of using social media to describe him as a “thief, scammer, fraud and criminal”.
The petition asked the IGP to direct the appropriate police units to investigate the allegations, protect Oloketuyi, and invite Bose and other family members implicated in the alleged threats for questioning.
“In view of the foregoing, we respectfully request that your office: treat this petition as a matter of urgency and direct the appropriate investigative unit, including the NPF National Cybercrime Centre and the Force Criminal Investigation Department, to receive it and commence investigation immediately,” the petition reads in part.
“Take immediate and effective steps to protect our client’s life and safety, and to prevent any further threats against him;
“Invite the Suspect and every member of her family implicated in the threats and publications for questioning, and, where warranted, take such lawful measures as are necessary to secure their attendance;
“Caution the Suspect and her family to cease forthwith all threats against our client and all publications branding him a fraud, scammer, thief or criminal.”