Ivan Sascha Sheehan, the executive director of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore, is being sued by some Nigerians of Igbo descent who are members of the US military for referring to IPOB as a terrorist group.
Sheehan was brought before the US District Court of Maryland by the organization known as American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) for disparaging IPOB in his article that appeared in The Washington Times on October 4, 2021 and was titled “US ignores small African terrorist group at its peril.”
AVID, a group of Igbo veterans of various US militaries, charged Sheehan with working with the Nigerian government to oppose IPOB.
The organization sued Sheehan and the University of Baltimore on 15 counts of defamation.
Aloy Ejimakor, the head of IPOB’s legal team, provided the lawsuit to DAILY POST and signed it on behalf of the organization.
In the lawsuit, AVID also sought thousands of dollars in damages from the defendant.
The complaint partially: “Plaintiff, American Veterans of Igbo Descent(“AVID”)is comprised of Igbo Ethnic men and women who have served in different branches of the United States military.
“All Igbos are Biafrans and widely regarded as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (“IPOB”), who have been targeted by the Defamatory article as published by the Defendants.
“On or about Monday, October 4, 2021, Defendant Sheehan published in The Washington Times, an “ANALYSIS/OPINION” defamatory article headlined “U/S/ ignores small African terrorist group IPOB at its peril.”
The article included numerous false accusations against IPOB that were published with malice aforethought, knowing they were false, or with reckless disregard for whether they were true or not.
“Defamatory falsehood number 1 asserted “An African terrorist organization [IPOB] is suing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken….” IPOB is not a terrorist organization under U.S. law or any law of a foreign country other than Nigeria.
“IPOB’s designation as a terrorist organization in Nigeria was made via a judicial edict with no hearing or due process.
“IPOB opposes violence. It supports independent Biafran sovereignty by peaceful means.
“At present, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is engaged in an ongoing genocide of Biafrans.
“Terrorist organizations employ unlawful violence against civilians to advance political objectives. IPOB does not deserve listing as a foreign terrorist organization by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act:
“The violent secessionist group in question the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is yet to be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US Department of State.”
“IPOB does not engage in politically motivated violence against civilians or non-combatants or otherwise and does not qualify for listing as an FTO under the laws of the United State.”
The court should persuade Sheehan to remove all of his defamatory articles from “all websites or other digital, social media, or hard copy platforms in their control,” according to AVID’s additional request.
“For an injunction requiring Defendants to publish a retraction of the statements found defamatory including a retraction published in The Washington Times.
“For attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by Plaintiffs in this action; and for other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper.”
