The Publisher of News Express, Mr. Isaac Umunna, has formally issued a demand for a written apology and N1 billion in damages from Dr. Halimat Adenike Tejuosho, the Founder of Haleems Integrated Services Limited, following allegations of defamation and the "unjust disruption" of his media operations, reports ITREALMS.
In a legal petition dated December 30, 2025, and made available to ITREALMS, Umunna’s legal counsel, Adewale & Adewale LP, detailed how the news portal, [https://newsexpressngr.com], was abruptly suspended on September 1, 2025, after Dr. Tejuosho reportedly misled the domain registrant, HostAfrica.
The lawyers claim that Dr. Tejuosho falsely informed the South African-based registrar that the publisher had not only published a fabricated story about her but had also attempted to solicit payment as a condition for its removal.
The legal team categorically denied these assertions, maintaining that Mr. Umunna never received any prior complaint regarding the story in question and therefore could not have engaged in any negotiations or demands for money.
They argued that by claiming the publisher "refused to take down the publication and instead attempted to solicit money," Dr. Tejuosho created the damaging impression that Mr. Umunna is a disreputable journalist who uses his platform for extortion.
This disruption caused the website to vanish from the internet for several hours, leading to a significant loss of traffic and a breach of trust with the public.
To underscore the severity of the defamation, the letter highlighted Mr. Umunna’s 39-year unblemished career as an award-winning international journalist.
His professional history includes serving as the General Editor of the London-based Africa Today Magazine and holding top editorial positions at The Week, The Moment on Sunday, and City Mail.
Furthermore, the firm noted that Mr. Umunna served as a Special Assistant on Media to the late Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, and has received prestigious accolades such as the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Award and the Siemens Profile Award for Journalism Excellence.
The lawyers emphasized that in over 13 years of operating News Express, the publication had never faced a single lawsuit until this incident.
Beyond the reputational damage, the legal petition outlined the severe financial consequences of the domain suspension.
The disruption allegedly caused Mr. Umunna to breach contracts with high-profile local and international advertising clients, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria, Konga, Adipolo of New York, and Kolorowey of New Delhi.
Consequently, the firm is demanding a formal retraction of the allegations, a letter of clarification to HostAfrica, and a bank-certified cheque of N1 billion.
Dr. Tejuosho has been given a 14-day ultimatum to comply with these demands or face a formal legal battle in court.
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