Publisher Loses ₦1bn Suit Against NIPSS, Heads to Appeal Court

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a ₦1 billion suit filed by the founder of PRNigeria and Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, Yushau Shuaib, against the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) over his withdrawal from the institute’s Senior Executive Course 47.

Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Binta Nyako ruled that NIPSS acted within its disciplinary powers by withdrawing Shuaib from the programme after concluding that he breached the institute’s confidentiality regulations.

The court held that Shuaib, by issuing an apology on behalf of PRNigeria over a publication considered offensive by the institute, had effectively admitted wrongdoing.

Justice Nyako further ruled that the publisher was granted a fair hearing, noting that he appeared before the institute’s disciplinary committee to respond to the allegations before disciplinary measures were taken.

The judge also held that Shuaib was bound by the oath of secrecy and confidentiality he subscribed to upon admission into the Senior Executive Course and was therefore required to comply with the institute’s rules throughout the programme.

Reacting to the judgment, Shuaib expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling and announced plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.

In a statement issued shortly after the judgment, he argued that the court failed to distinguish between his personal conduct and the editorial independence of PRNigeria.

According to him, he relinquished the day-to-day management of PRNigeria before resuming at NIPSS in compliance with the institute’s admission requirements and therefore could not be held personally responsible for publications produced by the organisation during his participation in the course.

Shuaib also faulted the judgment for declining to address his allegation that NIPSS unlawfully accessed his private email communications, insisting that the action violated his constitutional right to privacy.

“While I respect the judgment of the Federal High Court, I firmly believe there are substantial constitutional and legal issues that deserve appellate review. In the interest of justice, fairness and the protection of fundamental rights, we shall be approaching the Court of Appeal without delay,” he said.

Shuaib instituted the suit in July 2025 after his withdrawal from the Senior Executive Course, seeking declarations that the action was unlawful, unconstitutional and a violation of his fundamental rights.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1329/2025, filed through Senior Advocate of Nigeria Yunus Abdulsalam, he sought ₦1 billion in general, special and aggravated damages for alleged emotional trauma and reputational harm, as well as ₦100 million as litigation costs.

He also asked the court to set aside his withdrawal, order his reinstatement with full rights and privileges, and restrain NIPSS from further acts of alleged harassment, intimidation and cyberbullying.

The publisher further contended that the institute violated his right to privacy by allegedly accessing and relying on his private email correspondence without consent and infringed on his right to freedom of expression by disciplining him over publications by PRNigeria.

Despite the setback, Shuaib expressed confidence that the appellate court would give proper consideration to the constitutional, contractual and privacy issues raised in the matter.