By Akinwale Kasali
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, embarrassed by a damning article written by a staff of Daily Trust, and carried by the paper, is asking for a princely six billion Naira from the Publication and its writer.
Fani-Kayode ran into a storm at a press conference in Calabar where he thoroughly insulted a reporter from the Daily Trust stable, Stephen Eyo, calling him stupid, many times, for asking him who was sponsoring his trips across the PDP states to inspect projects.
His outburst against the reporter attracted strong condemnations from across Nigerians, including professional bodies in the Media Industry. Daily Trust also responded, decrying the incident, and standing by its reporter.
And even Fani-Kayode stood his ground, and said he was not going to retract the insults he heaped on Eyo, he later backed down, and apologised profusely to Eyo, his family, bosses and friends, saying he had disappointed them, and also disappointed himself.
Fani-Kayode has however demanded that Daily Trust Media should pay him N6 Billion and tender and unreserved apology Within 14 days, over an article written by the News Media, which he termed defamatory.
But his apology notwithstanding, the paper carried a damnimg article against him, written by Iliyasu Gadu, comparing him to a pig, which remains a pig, no matter how much clean it has been washed. It, also, reminded him of his alleged battles with drugs.
Not a few people thought the write-up was an over-kill, especially, as he had publicly apologised profusely.
At once, embarrassed and angry over the damning write-up, Fani-Kayode has threatened to sue the Media Trust Ltd, publisher of the paper, and the writer for six billion Naira. He is also asking for a public apology for alleged libel and defamation of character.
He gave them 14 days to apologise and negotiate with him over the N6 billion demand.
Fani-Kayode in the letter addressed to the Managing Director of the newspaper, dated August 31, 2020, and titled, ‘Defamation of the Character of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by Iliyasu Gadu’ accused the company of defaming him in an article titled: FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears’ dated August 30, 2020.
The letter, which was signed by the former Minister’s lawyer, Adeola Adesipe, contained his demands.
In the pre-litigation letter, Fani-Kayode described the article as libellous and demanded an apology from the newspaper, which must be published in other national dailies.
The six billion Naira, he said, is due to the irreparable loss the article had caused him.
It read in part, “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.“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 newspaper was given 14 days to comply with the demands in the letter or face legal action.
Fani-Kayode also wrote a similar letter to Gadu.
