Osinbajo Writes IGP, Demands Probe Of Blogger Over ‘False’ Allegation Of Him Taking N4b From Magu
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, demanding the probe of a blogger, Jackson Ude, who allegedly fabricated and circulated reports that he received N4bn from recovered loot allegedly diverted by the suspended EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
Jackson Ude, who is allegedly the publisher of Point Blank News blog, is a former director of strategy and communications under President Goodluck Jonathan administration.
In a Wednesday blog post and tweets, he alleged that Magu embezzled over N39 billion and gave Osinbajo N4 billion for soft landing.
Ude also claimed that the Vice President is being investigated over his ‘involvement in the scandal’.
The Vice President has earlier denied the allegations through a statement by his media aide.
Read Also: Osinbajo Did Not Collect N4bn Recovered Loot From Magu – Aide Denies Allegation
The Vice President through his lawyer Taiwo Osipitan has now written the IGP in a petition dated July 8, 2020 and entitled; ‘Criminal Defamation of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), GCON by Jackson Ude’.
Osipitan has now averred that Ude’s blog post and tweet is aimed at making the vice president appear like a “dishonest and disloyal public officer and consequently unfit for the position of the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which he is occupying.”
He said Ude, who allegedly authored the story, was in the habit of publishing malicious articles against his person.
According to Punch, the lawyer attached printed copies of some of the blogger’s reports to the petition.
He said the articles were defamatory and capable of bringing the Vice President to ridicule before members of the public.
Osipitan called on the IG to probe the blogger with a view to prosecuting him for criminal defamation.
He stressed that Ude also likened the VP to alleged international fraudster, Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi, by calling him ‘Hush-bajo’.
The petition read in part;
These vicious and malicious publications are meant to achieve one objective only, to present to his readership and others (Nigerians and foreigners) that our client is a dishonest and disloyal public officer and consequently unfit for the position of Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria he is occupying.
We are of the view that unless an action for criminal defamation is commenced against the said Mr. Jackson Ude, he will continue to use his social media platform to publish materials that are false and criminally defamatory of our client’s reputation.
In view of the above, we humbly request that you cause the above allegations made against our client to be investigated and if the suggested investigation confirms our complaint of the falsehood of these allegations, to initiate criminal proceedings pursuant to the provisions of Sections 391-395 of the Penal Code Act for criminal defamation against the said Jackson Ude.
As confirmed by MDB, Ude, who is based in the United States, has continued to make tweets about Osinbajo and his alleged role in the EFCC financial crime allegation.
He recently tweeted;
I am not afraid of Osinbajo and his minions. If he indeed wants to go to court, he needs to resign first, and sue me. He cannot be VP and be using state resources to intimidate the Judiciary. He cannot wave an immunity that he didn’t place. Osinabjo should resign first!
— Jackson Ude (@jacksonpbn) July 9, 2020
