By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Hon. Ganiyu Oyebanjo, a former Special Adviser on Boundary Matters to the Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, has asked the Lagos State High Court to dismiss a defamation suit filed against him by Oloye Seun Salami.
In his Statement of Defence dated October 2, 2025, and filed before the Ikeja Judicial Division under Suit No: ID/ADR/3352/25, Oyebanjo contended that the claimant had previously published “false, malicious and defamatory” statements against him.
Oyebanjo admitted authoring a publication titled “Operation Time Pass” in two WhatsApp groups — Kosofe Voice and Kosofe Headlines — but maintained that his comments were “fair and honest opinions” made in response to Salami’s earlier remarks.
According to the defence, Salami had described Oyebanjo in several online posts as a “monster,” “wounded lion,” “drowned man,” and a “runaway supervisor,” among other derogatory terms. Salami allegedly also claimed Oyebanjo was “suffering from brain cancer and other dangerous ailments,” and advised his family to seek medical help.
Oyebanjo’s defence further disputes the claimant’s public identity, stating that Salami was not a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) nor a “prominent grassroots politician” as claimed, citing a KosofePost report of September 5, 2025, that identified Salami as a social commentator.
The defence also challenged Salami’s residential claim, asserting that contrary to his affidavit stating he resided in Anthony Village, he was known to live in Oworonshoki.
Justifying his response, Oyebanjo argued that his “Operation Time Pass” publication was provoked by Salami’s earlier “malicious and defamatory” statements, which he believed gave him the right to reply on the same platforms.
He added that he would only retract and apologise for his comments if Salami first withdrew his own publications and tendered a public apology.
In support of his defence, Oyebanjo listed several electronic documents as exhibits, including the KosofePost publication titled “Kosofe Legislative Crisis: Social Commentator Seun Salami Apologised for Past Role.”
Oyebanjo also alleged that Salami was a “chronic alcoholic who was perpetually drunk” and had made several provocative posts against him without justification.
While confirming that he served as Special Adviser on Boundary Matters, Oyebanjo “vehemently denied” being removed for insubordination or gross misconduct, noting that his suspension was already the subject of a separate court case.
He further denied being the creator or convener of the Kosofe Headlines Facebook page.
Oyebanjo Statement of Defence
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