Erstwhile Bank of Industry bigwig, Jonathan Tobin maybe in for some big trouble as the Chief Elect of his Chieftaincy House, the Tobin (Konibo-ye-Awanta) House, Dagogo Tobin has slammed him with a N1 billion defamation suit at a Port Harcourt High Court.

Dagogo Tobin, who holds Ibani title of Amasenibo in Bonny Kingdom and former Intelligence Officer with the Nigerian Army, further in his statement of claims in the suit: PHC/964/CS/2022, averred that he views the statements made by the defendant via SMS, in different WhatsApp groups, on Facebook, on Radio and virtual platforms as “defamatory and libelous” of his person and reputation.  

He prayed the court to grant him the following reliefs:

“A DECLARATION that the Defendant’s publication in the Tobin Chieftaincy House group WhatsApp Platform: Tobin House Elders Council group Platform: Finima Youth Congress (F.Y.C) official Platform on Facebook: paid announcement by the defendant on Wave 91.7FM to the World: On-Line Media (Kristina Reports.net) all of which was aired, read, circulated and received by members of various Group platforms and the Public in the Finima Town in the Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State and in Nigeria at large to the effect that “Dagogo Tobin is not a member of the family. He is an impostor orchestrating confusion in the House”; and that “the truth is that Elder J. A. Tobin is not your biological father…” amongst other statements contained in various publications are defamatory and libelous of the Claimant.

AN ORDER for publication of an apology, retraction and rebuttal of the defamatory publications in all the mentioned social media platforms, Wave 91.7FM, Nigeria Tide, kristinareports.net On-Line Media and “The Nation Newspaper” for three consecutive days.”

“The sum of One Billion Naira (N1,000,000.000.00) being and representing general damages for the various defamatory statements or publications either paid or sponsored or posted or disseminated by the defendant.”

“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant by himself or through his Privies, Cohorts, Cronies, Association, Agents, family or howsoever called from any further publication or statement defamatory of the Claimant or from further publishing or disseminating the libelous or slanderous materials or content or similar ones against the Claimant.”

The defendant, Jonathan Tobin, who has over 27 years’ experience in the Agriculture value chain and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises financing, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and Extension, and also trained in Project Management fast track from the Boston University, USA.

Prior to his stint as Executive Director, Corporate Services at the Bank of Industry, had managed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Office, and was the Project Manager of the CBN N20 billion Anchor Borrower’s Rice project involving about 70,000 smallholder farmers in Kebbi State.

Kristina Reports can reliably report that the Writ of Summons has been served on the BOI bigwig, Jonathan Tobin.

Recall that Omunabo Tobin, who claims to be the youngest son Dagogo Tobin’s mother, and Bara Tobin, who also claimed to be the first grandson of the family, had dragged the BOI boss to the Bonny Women Forum (BWF), appealing to the women of Bonny Kingdom to invite him to come and justify his allegations of infidelity against their late matriarch.

It was yet unclear what steps the women of Tobin House (Awanta Ere) and Jack Wilson Pepple House (Ojuigbe Ere) would take to address the allegation by Jonathan Tobin that their late sister was not faithful to her husband. Kristina Reports would keep its audience updated on the developments as they unfold.