The Nigerian actor, Frederick Leonard, has petitioned law enforcement authorities against filmmaker Stanley Ontop Ajemba, accusing him of a prolonged campaign of defamation.
Leonard submitted a petition to the Delta state police command on January 26, requesting official intervention and redress over the matter.
In the petition, Leonard alleged that Ajemba, who identifies himself as an actors’ rights activist, has “persistently defamed me for over two years”.
According to the document, the alleged actions were “unprovoked” and have significantly damaged the actor’s personal integrity and professional standing.
The petition further stated that Ajemba’s “several unfounded allegations” have escalated to the extent of “causing our client serious loss of earning”.
It stressed that the comments were made “without no justifiable reasons” and called on Ajemba to “correct and takedown” the negative narratives he has allegedly spread.
“Mr. Stanley Chibueze Ajemba, who is a self-styled, actors right activist, has persisted in the defamation of our client’s reputation unprovoked for over 2 years,” the petition stated.
“It is our brief that the said Mr. Stanley Chibueze Ajemba has made several unfounded allegations that seriously undermines our client’s integrity to the point of causing our client serious loss of earning if left unchecked and if he doesn’t correct and takedown those negative impression, he has been feeding the public with.”
Leonard’s legal representatives also urged the police to carry out an independent and comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
They requested that Ajemba be invited for questioning and compelled to issue a written apology, as well as retract all previous “libelous” publications.
Following the petition, Ajemba responded with a cryptic post on social media, making fresh accusations in which he alleged that Leonard mistreated crew members on film sets and engaged in extra-marital affairs with young actresses.