ERISCO Foods is set to be slammed with N500m law suit by one of their customers, Chioma Okoli.
The impeding law suit was disclosed by Inibehe Effiong, counsel to Okoli, while speaking on Arise News on Friday.
This comes after Okoli made a review of one of the company’s product, a tomato mix, in Facebook.
She criticized the product as having too much sugar amid other complaints.
This did not go down well with Erisco Foods as they soon arrested the lady.
The company threatened to slam a N5billion law suit on Okoli if she did not draft an apology letter for her review.
Okoli wrote an apology letter and was released by the Police.
Counsel to Okoli has now stated that the apology letter was written under duress.
His lawsuit against Erisco borders on violation of his client’s fundamental human rights and defamation of character.
“The purported apology letter was composed under threat and during her detention. She was initially arrested in Lagos, and her statement was taken there,” the Lawyer revealed.
“According to the law, she should have been released after her initial statement in Lagos. Notably, the police did not obtain any written statement from her in Abuja.
“The primary reason for relocating my client from Lagos to Abuja was to compel her to meet with the Erisco boss, with the sole purpose of forcing her to sign the apology letter.
“When you scrutinize the apology letter, it becomes evident that it was not written voluntarily; it was done under duress. She was threatened with seven days of confinement if she did not comply and sign the letter.
“We are initiating two legal cases. One pertains to the severe violation of her human rights, and the other addresses defamation, with damages sought not less than N500 million,” Okoli’s Counsel revealed.
Meanwhile, husband to the prospective plaintiff, Chizoba Okoli, revealed that it became imperative that they file the law suits after the manner in which his wife was arrested and maltreated at the Police Station.
Besides spending 3 days at the station without being charged to court, he pointed out how his wife was transfered from Lagos to Abuja in a clear intimidation tactics.
Speaking earlier on Arise, Journalist, Reuben Abati, slammed tbe company for taking that step.
He pointed out customer rights and freedom of expression that permitted Okoli to make her review of the product.
