The former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has demanded that the management of Media Trust Limited, the publisher of Daily Trust and other publications enter into a negotiation for a possible settlement of N6 billion for defamation of character over the newspaper’s recent article regarding his conduct towards a Daily Trust reporter.
A letter dated August 31, 2020, with the subject: “Re: Defamation of the character of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, by Iliyasu Gadu,” signed by Adeola Adedipe of Ahmed Raji and Co, was in response to an article titled, ‘FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears’ dated August 30, 2020.
The writer had in the article lambasted Fani-Kayode for his conduct during a press conference in which he described a Daily Trust reporter in Calabar, Eyo Charles, as ‘stupid’ after the journalist asked who was “bankrolling” his current tour of southern states.
Fani-Kayode through his lawyer described the article as libellous and demanded an apology from the newspaper, which must be published in other national dailies.
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The letter read, “We represent Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, in respect of the afore-described subject matter.
“Our Client’s attention has been drawn to a spurious publication that was made at your instance, on 30th August 2020, under the caption: ‘FFK, The drug-addled thug in designer wears’ on the Daily Trust print media, and the online platform.
In that hateful and malicious publication, you consciously elected to denigrate our Client, in the manner hereunder summarised as follows: that he is a dirty person and drug addict; he is a man of low esteem without dignity or reputation; that he is a pariah and disgrace to his State of Origin; he lacks character training in the best traditions of an English man and therefore unfit to be an alumnus of the prestigious Cambridge University and the University of London; he is not fit to have been called to the Nigerian Bar, as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria;” among other assertions.
It further added, “It is our instruction to intimate you of this grievous breach on the character and hard-earned reputation of our client with patent collateral damage on his pedigree.
“Be aware that our client has not only suffered an immeasurable loss of goodwill but he is currently confronted with unbearable opprobrium by his fans. followers and colleagues across the globe.
“Our Client is alive to his rights. both in law and equity but is disposed to afford you 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 Six Billion Naira, being a token amount for penitence as opposed to the magnitude of infraction caused to our Client’s nobility.”
