For alleged defamation and unjust disruption of business operations, the Publisher of News Express, Mr. Isaac Umunna has demanded a written apology and N1 billion compensation from the Founder of Haleems Integrated Services Limited, Dr. Halimat Adenike Tejuosho.
In a pre-action letter by his lawyers, Adewale & Adewale LP, which was dated 30 December 2025, Umunna gave Haleems Integrated Services Limited and Tejuosho a 14-day notice to retract the ‘false and malicious allegations’ made against him to News Express’ domain name registrant, HostAfrica, ‘as a result of which the newspaper’s domain name was suspended on 1 September 2025, thus unjustly disrupting the paper’s operations for several hours’.
Umunna also demanded that Haleems Integrated Services Limited and Tejuosho should write ‘ a letter to Host Africa informing them that your allegations against our client are false’.
Failure to meet the demands within the specified time will lead to a legal battle, Umunna said.
In a demand letter, the publisher’s lawyers accused Tejuosho of lying to HostAfrica, as a result of which News Express’ domain name was suspended.
Adewale & Adewale LP wrote: ‘In the evening hours of Monday, 1 September 2025, our client’s website, https://
Accusing Tejuosho of defamation of character, Adewale & Adewale LP said: ‘However, contrary to your claims, our client never received any complaint about the referenced story through any means whatsoever. He could not, therefore, have entered into discussions with you, let alone demanding payment as a condition to remove the said story.
‘By falsely claiming that our client “refused to take down the publication and have instead attempted to solicit money in exchange for removal”, you created the impression that our client is a disreputable journalist who fabricates stories about people and demands payment to remove them’.
In the letter signed by its Managing Partner, Timothy Adewale, Lagos-based law firm said that, contrary to Tejuosho’s claims, the facts show as follows: ‘That our client is a reputable and award-winning international journalist who has never been associated with any scandal in his 39 years of practice.
‘Due to his competence and professional integrity, our client rose to occupy top positions in important local and international newspapers and magazines. These include serving, at various times, as Deputy Editor and Acting Editor of Theweek magazine, Chief Operating Officer of M2 weekly magazine, Editor of The Moment on Sunday newspaper, Managing Editor of City Mail newspaper, and General Editor of the London-based Africa Today magazine.
“Throughout his long and unblemished journalism career, our client has neither been queried nor sacked by any of his employers.
‘Our client brought this professional integrity to News Express, which explains why the paper has not faced even a single lawsuit in its over 13 years of operations.
‘Untainted by any hint of scandal, our client has been widely celebrated both locally and internationally as a distinguished professional journalist.
‘In 1996 he was nominated Print Journalist of the Year in Nigeria and given a Certificate of Commendation by the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Media Merit Award, on 26 September.
‘He was recognised as “a leading Nigerian political journalist” by The International Herald Tribune newspaper of Paris, France, on 25 May 2005.
‘Two months later, on 4 July in London, our client won the “Best Published Feature” category of the prestigious Diageo Africa Business Reporting Award, which is open to journalists all over the world.
‘On 21 February 2006, our client was honoured in South Africa with a Merit Award in the Technology Policy and Investment Category of the Siemens Profile Awards for Journalism Excellence in Science and Technology Reporting in Africa.
‘Due to his professionalism and good reputation, our client was in August 2010 appointed Special Assistant on Media to Prof. Dora Akunyili, who, at the time, was Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Communications. That made him a Deputy Director on Grade Level 16 Step 4 in the Ministry. He served so meritoriously in that position that he was retained by Akunyili as media aide after her resignation as Minister on 15 December 2010. He served in that position until Akunyili’s death on 7 June 2014’.
The law firm told Tejuosho that, ‘as a result of the defamatory words published by you in your mail to Host Africa, our client has suffered humiliation and grievous emotional and psychological distress and damage.
‘What is more, by unjustly disrupting our client’s business operations, he has suffered untold financial losses and you have caused him to breach his contracts with numerous local and international advertising clients, among them the Central Bank of Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria, Konga (Nigeria), Adipolo of New York, USA, and Kolorowey of New Delhi, India’.
