Court Adjourns PRNigeria Founder’s ₦1.1bn Suit Against NIPSS Over Alleged Unlawful Withdrawal
The Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, has adjourned to February 24, 2026 the trial of a suit challenging the alleged unlawful withdrawal of Malam Yushau Shuaib, founder of PRNigeria, from the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.
The matter, originally fixed for December 8, 2025, did not proceed as scheduled, with no official reason disclosed for the adjournment. Court observers expressed surprise upon discovering from the cause list that the case had been shifted.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1329/2025, Shuaib, a respected public relations practitioner, is seeking N1 billion in general, special, and aggravated damages against NIPSS for alleged emotional trauma and reputational harm arising from what he describes as an arbitrary and unlawful withdrawal. He is also claiming N100 million as litigation costs, having issued a pre‑action notice to the Institute’s Director‑General, Professor Ayo Omotayo, on June 16, 2025, which he alleges was ignored.
Represented by Yunus Abdulsalam, SAN, the plaintiff seeks an order setting aside his withdrawal from SEC 47 and reinstating him with full rights and privileges and a perpetual injunction restraining NIPSS, its agents, and officials from further harassment, intimidation, or cyberbullying.
In his originating summons, Shuaib raised eight issues for determination, including:
– Whether attributing a PRNigeria publication to him as misconduct, despite not being its author, was lawful.
– Whether NIPSS’s alleged access to his private email without consent violated his constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution.
– Whether disciplinary action against him for professional opinions expressed in a published article infringed his right to freedom of expression under Section 39(1).
– Whether his exclusion from official platforms and interactions amounted to harassment and cyberbullying.
– Whether denial of participation in the international study tour, despite full payment of ₦18.3 million course fees, constituted discrimination and breach of contract.
– Whether his suspension and withdrawal without fair hearing breached his constitutional right to fair trial under Section 36(1).
Shuaib therefore seeks judicial declarations that the actions of NIPSS were unlawful, unjustifiable, discriminatory, and unsupported by any regulation, alongside reinstatement into SEC 47 with full privileges. He also asks the court to affirm that NIPSS lacks authority to penalize him for content published by an independent media platform and to declare his withdrawal unconstitutional.
