Edo Government Threatens Legal Action Against Former Commissioner

…Demands Public Apology Within 24 Hours or Faces Civil and Criminal Proceedings

The Edo State Government has issued a stern 24-hour ultimatum to Hon. Ogbeide Faluyi-Isibor, a former Commissioner for Digital Economy, Science and Technology under ex-Governor Godwin Obaseki, demanding a public retraction and apology over what it describes as criminal defamation.

In a statement released on June 8, 2025, and signed by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson R. Osagie, the state government denounced a viral Facebook post made by Faluyi-Isibor on June 6. The post, which has since circulated widely on social media, accuses the current administration of incompetence and administrative lapses.

According to Dr. Osagie, the publication—which he termed baseless, malicious, and defamatory—aims to discredit Governor Monday Okpebholo and members of the State Executive Council.

The former commissioner’s post had claimed that only three Executive Council meetings had been held in eight months, alleging that the governor spends most of his time in Abuja, where he purportedly orchestrates contract awards before returning to Benin to formalize them. The post also insinuated that public funds were being reserved to settle a looming Supreme Court judgment tied to the previous administration’s contracts.

Describing the claims as “completely false,” the Attorney General stated that the Okpebholo-led government has convened numerous Executive Council meetings, which have resulted in significant developmental strides—highlighting ongoing flyover projects in Benin City as one of the achievements.

“The government views this publication as criminal defamation,” Osagie said. “We intend to proceed through the appropriate security agencies and the courts unless Mr. Faluyi-Isibor issues a public apology and retracts the statements within 24 hours.”

The apology, the government insists, must be published across all social media platforms and in at least one national newspaper.

This latest development reflects the government’s firm stance against what it sees as deliberate misinformation and attempts to damage its credibility—especially as the political atmosphere heats up ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Faluyi-Isibor has yet to issue a response as of the time of this report.