A high-profile corporate dispute is brewing between the MSM Group, led by Muazzam Mairawani, and the Oduduwa Transparency Network (OPN) over claims of damaging falsehoods.
Mairawani, popularly called MSM, has formally engaged the nation’s top law enforcement and anti-graft bodies to intervene. Petitions were sent to the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His legal representatives, Habeeb Oredola & Co., are urging authorities to “deploy the machinery of the law” against the OPN and its President, Mr. Mahmud Adebayo, for alleged criminal defamation.
In a letter dated the 11th of August , the legal team stated: “The Oduduwa Transparency Network (‘OPN’ or ‘the Network’) and Mr. Mahmud Adebayo in his capacity as the President of the OPN has deliberately with malicious intent disseminated to the media and the general public blatant falsehood extremely injurious and detrimental to the reputation of our client.
The malicious publication which are devoid of any iota of truth has exposed our client to ridicule and public hatred.”
The complaints link the dispute to a press conference OPN held on the 6th of August, 2025. MSM contends the event was staged to publicly tarnish the company’s name.
According to the petition: “The Oduduwa Transparency Network without factchecking or investigation recklessly convened a Press Conference on August 06, 2025, solely for the purpose of maligning our client’s reputation. The Press Conference drew significant media attention with numerous representatives from prominent media organizations in attendance.
In the course of the press conference, the President of the Network Mr. Mahmud Adebayo made sweeping and unverifiable comments imputing the allegation of crime against the MSM Group.
More specifically, Mr. Adebayo made fictitious and unsubstantiated allegations of money laundering, misappropriation of public funds and conspiracy against our client and its subsidiary companies. These allegations which are completely untrue were uttered maliciously by Mr. Mahmud Adebayo.”
READ ALSO: Lawyers, Civil Groups Petition Presidency, NASS Over NMDPRA Boss
The petition accuses OPN of treating conjecture as fact: “The OPN through its President recklessly presented unsubstantiated speculation as established fact, creating sinister connections between our client’s legitimate business activities and fabricated criminal conduct.
These baseless allegations were clearly calculated to inflict maximum reputational damage through inflammatory language and conspiracy theories presented as investigative findings.
A copy of the press release downloaded from the YouTube link is contained in a flash enclosed to this letter. We have also attached copies of the publications made by the several media organizations for your reference.
We have all reasonable grounds to believe that the actions of OPN and its President has achieved its desired sinister objective of criminal defamation as several media houses including The Guardian Newspaper, Daily Post Nigeria, Champion Newspapers and other new media have amplified Mr Adebayo’s unsubstantiated and malicious criminal allegations against our client.
Kindly find attached proof of the utterances of Mr. Mahmud Adebayo as published by Guardian Newspaper and Daily Post Nigeria.
By imputing fictitious and grave criminal allegations against our client, the OPN and its President Mr. Mahmud Adebayo has unjustifiably exposed our client to severe reputational harm, ridicule, public hatred and contempt.”
This latest move sets the stage for a potential legal showdown between a top Nigerian entrepreneur and a civic accountability group that claims to stand for transparency.