A Chinese investor, Liu Yangxi, managing director of BN Ceramics Industry Nigeria Limited and NB Ceramics Ltd, has filed a lawsuit in a High Court in Abuja, seeking N5 billion in damages over reports that falsely implicated him in an alleged N17 billion fraud.
In his suit, marked: CV/3993/2024, Yangxi claims he was maliciously defamed by two articles published in Nigeria on August 3 and August 7. The defendants in the case include Peoples Gazette Ltd (publisher of the Peoples Gazette, an online newspaper), Media Trust Ltd (publisher of the Daily Trust newspaper), and Fidelis Akumatu, described as a correspondent.
Yangxi asserts that one of the offensive articles was titled: “Petitions to EFCC, SSS accuse Chinese expatriate of colluding with bank manager to steal N17 billion from two Nigerian ceramic companies,” while the other was titled: “Bank Manager, Chinese expatriates’ N17 billion fraud: A dangerous economic sabotage.”
He contends that both publications have severely damaged his reputation, exposing him to public disdain and opprobrium. Yangxi claims the defendants published these libelous articles without verifying the facts or conducting proper investigations, knowing the information was false.
The publications allegedly portrayed him as a fraudulent individual involved in money laundering, tax evasion, and other criminal activities. Yangxi states that the articles have tarnished his image and reputation, which he has built over the years as a law-abiding expatriate and morally upright individual.