Fani-Kayode Demands Six Billion Naira In Damages From Daily Trust Over Libel

 Fani-Kayode Demands Six Billion Naira In Damages From Daily Trust Over Libel

By Emmanuel Awosika

Ex-Minister for Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has has demanded six billion naira in damages from Daily Trust over an article published in the newspaper.

This was contained in a letter addressed to the management of Daily Trust Newspaper, titled “Defamation of the character of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by Iliyasu Gadu” and dated August 31, 2020.

The letter states that an article titled, ‘FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears’, written by Iliyasu Gadu and published in the Daily Trust newspaper on August 30, 2020, was libelous and defamatory.

The author of the article had criticized Fani-Kayode’s infamous outburst at a press conference in Calabar during which he called a Daily Trust reporter, Eyo Charles, “stupid” for asking him a question.

Allegedly, the author also accused Fani-Kayode of being a drug addict, saying the former Minister had sought rehabilitation in Ghana but had not been “cured of the habit.”

However, Fani-Kayode, through his lawyer, Adeola Adesipe, maintained that the claim was defamatory, which made the article libelous.

The former Minister demanded an apology from the newspaper, which must also be published in national dailies.

He also demanded potential payment of six billion naira due for the loss the article had caused him.

“Be aware that our client has not only suffered immeasurable loss of goodwill, he is currently confronted with unbearable opprobrium by his fans, followers and colleagues across the globe.

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“Our client is alive to his rights both in law and equity but is disposed to an opportunity to undo the evil you have done by retracting the said insalubrious remarks on the same platform it was published and apologising to him in two other national dailies.

“You are also advised to enter into negotiations with us for the sum of N6bn being a token amount for penitence as opposed to the magnitude of infraction caused to our client’s nobility,” the letter reads in part.

Fani-Kayode and his legal team gave the newspaper two weeks to comply or be sued in a court of law.

 

lagosstreetjournal

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