Copyright Society of Nigeria sues former label owner

Banwo, an entrepreneur and former record label owner, posted a statement on social media accusing Okoroji of certain actions in a note titled "Time to blow whistle on Tony Okoroji: How did Tony Okoroji spend over 300 million naira [$950 000] in Copyright Royal collection on behalf of Nigerian artists”.

Besides a retraction, COSON is demanding "a conspicuous and unreserved apology" to Okoroji and the copyright body. This apology is to be posted on Facebook and published in Nigerian newspapers within seven days. The body is also asking that Banwo pay 200 million naira to Chief Okoroji and COSON.

A letter dated 5 May from COSON's lawyers to Banwo made available to the public lays out the terms of the suit. "We refer to your widely circulated publication on Facebook titled 'Time to blow whistle on Tony Okoroji: How did Tony Okoroji spend over 300 000 000 in Copyright Royal collection on behalf of Nigerian artists' and other vile statements you have repeatedly published in the last fortnight against our Clients," it says.

"By the said publications, you have made several blatantly false, baseless and malicious statements including innuendos which were clearly intended by you to lower the hard won reputation of our Clients and to incite stakeholders in the Nigerian music industry to revolt against our Clients and to distort and destroy their legacies. Our Clients have also been informed that having not been invited and not being a member of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and not having any genuine business to do at COSON, you on Friday 28 April 2017 stormed the offices of COSON at Omodara Street, Opebi, Lagos, and without anyone’s permission and with a smartphone began to livestream the images of the staff of COSON at work and the premises of our Clients on the Internet accompanied by very vile, false and inciteful statements and commentaries made by you against our Clients also clearly intended to engineer a revolt against our Clients.

"We are informed that you are a lawyer and as a lawyer, you ought to know better. We have been instructed by our Clients to demand and we hereby demand a retraction of the false and injurious statements you have published against our Clients and to tender a conspicuous and unreserved apology to our Clients published on Facebook and in the Guardian Newspaper, the Sun Newspaper, the Punch and Vanguard Newspapers within 7 (seven) days of receipt of this letter. Furthermore, you are to pay to each of our clients the sum of N100 000 000 (One Hundred Million Naira each) for the significant injury you have caused our Clients.

"Be informed that if you fail, refuse or neglect to meet the demands of our Clients, our instructions are to deploy every instrument and process allowed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to seek redress against you."

COSON has rarely been out of court in the past year, as it has taken various establishments and individuals, including a Lagos hotel and a telecommunications company, to court. With regards to the new case, the copyright body's lawyers have some experience in similar matters; they won a defamation case for Okoroji against the singer Onyeka Onwenu last year. 

Despite the COSON letter, Banwo on 6 May posted some questions to the public through his Twitter account, one of which asked: "Would somebody please ask Tony Okoroji of COSON why he is fighting against competition in music copyright collection in Nigeria?" apparently referring to the recent approval given to the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) by the Nigerian government after years of being dragged to court by COSON.