Mr. Yushau A. Shuaib, founder of PRNigeria, has sent a legal notice to NIPSS demanding his reinstatement to SEC 47 and ₦1 billion in compensation for alleged wrongful withdrawal from the programme, citing reputational, emotional, and financial harm.
The letter, dated June 16, 2025, and signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Yunus Abdulsalam, was addressed to Professor Ayo Omotayo, Director General of NIPSS. It detailed several alleged infractions by the institute, including cyberstalking, unauthorized access to private communications, and unfounded disciplinary actions aimed at embarrassing and removing Mr. Shuaib from the programme under false pretences.
Mr. Shuaib, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, was nominated and admitted into SEC 47 earlier this year. However, tensions reportedly escalated after he received two queries over articles allegedly linked to him.
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Rear Admiral A. A. Mustapha issued the queries on behalf of Barrister Nima Salman Mann, acting Director of Studies at NIPSS.
One of the articles, titled “NIPSS Goes Digital: Launches Paperless Platform after Submitting Landmark Report to President Tinubu”, was published by PRNigeria. Shuaib asserts he did not author or authorize the piece. His legal team argues the article was independently circulated by other media outlets and did not contain any classified or sensitive content.
The second query referenced an article authored by Shuaib on the Blue Economy, titled “Understanding the ‘Blue’ in the Blue Economy: A PR Perspective”. His legal team insists the piece was a constitutionally protected opinion piece and unrelated to NIPSS activities. Nonetheless, the institute allegedly used it as grounds for disciplinary action, which included unlawfully accessing Shuaib’s private email account.
The legal team condemned the actions of NIPSS as a deliberate attempt to malign Shuaib, describing the process as a “fault-finding voyage” and a clear violation of digital privacy and constitutional rights under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution.
They labelled the withdrawal process and disciplinary actions as malicious, unfounded, and driven by “institutional malice.” Despite Shuaib’s compliance and respect for due process, he was, according to the notice, treated in a manner “incompatible with professional standards and institutional values.”
The notice gave NIPSS a 14-day ultimatum to meet several demands: a formal and unconditional reversal of all disciplinary actions, a written apology addressed to Mr. Shuaib and copied to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, his immediate reinstatement into SEC 47 with full privileges—including international study tours—and a ₦1 billion compensation for damages.
It warned that failure to meet these demands would prompt legal action, including claims for aggravated damages and declaratory relief.
If pursued in court, the case could spotlight key issues surrounding digital rights, institutional accountability, and freedom of expression within Nigeria’s foremost policy think tank. As of this report, NIPSS has not officially responded to the allegations.
PRNIGERIA
