PRNigeria Founder Sues NIPSS For N1bn

The founder of PRNigeria, Malam Yushau A. Shuaib, has dragged the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over his “unjust” removal from the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47 of the Institute.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1329/2025, he is also asking the court to set aside his withdrawal, reinstate him with full benefits, and restrain the Institute from any further harassment, intimidation, or cyberbullying.

The public relations expert, in the suit filed by his legal team led by Yunus Abdulsalam, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, alleged that NIPSS acted unlawfully by expelling him despite his full compliance with all course requirements, including the payment of N18.3m in fees.

Shuaib argued that disciplinary actions taken against him were based on publications by PRNigeria, an independent news platform he founded, which he neither authored nor endorsed.

He further accused NIPSS of unlawfully accessing his private email without his consent, thereby breaching his constitutional rights to privacy and freedom of expression under Sections 37 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution.

The plaintiff maintained that his suspension and withdrawal, communicated only to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), which nominated him for the course, violated his right to a fair hearing under Section 36(1).

He described the Institute’s decision as discriminatory and lacking any legal backing.

In a 40-paragraph affidavit, Shuaib detailed how, despite following due process and handing over his company’s responsibilities to enable full participation, he was subjected to multiple queries.

These included a March 24 query over a PRNigeria story on NIPSS’ digitalisation and another on April 25 concerning an editorial reflection on the “Blue Economy”. He insisted both matters were frivolous and unrelated to his conduct as a participant.

He told the court that his exclusion from platforms, isolation from colleagues, and denial of participation in the international study tour amounted to harassment and contractual breach.

Consequently, he asked the court to declare his removal from SEC 47 unlawful, unjustifiable, and discriminatory while restoring his rights and privileges as a duly admitted participant.

Shuaib is seeking ₦1bn in damages against NIPSS, in addition to ₦100m as the cost of litigation.

No date has been given for the hearing of the suit.