Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, has instituted a legal action against Media Trust, the management of Daily Trust Newspaper for defamation of his character.
He demanded N6billion from the management of the company or enter into a negotiation with him for a possible settlement over defamation.
Fani-Kayode said this in a letter addressed to the Managing Director of Daily Trust, dated August 31 and titled, ‘Defamation of the character of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by Iliyasu Gadu.’
The letter, which was signed by the former minister’s lawyer, Adeola Adesipe, was in response to an article titled, ‘FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears’ dated August 30 and published by the medium.
In the article, which was published in the newspaper, the writer 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 question about the identity of persons ‘bankrolling’ his current tour of southern states.
Gadu, the writer of the article, claimed that Fani-Kayode, who attended Cambridge University, was once “a drug addict” and had sought rehabilitation in Ghana, but “till today has not been cured of the habit.”
However, Fani-Kayode in his pre-litigation letter described the article as libelous and demanded an apology from the newspaper, which must be published in other national dailies.
The former minister also demanded that negotiation be entered into for possible payment of N6bn due to the irreparable loss the article had caused him.
It reads 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 or face legal action.
Fani-Kayode also wrote a similar letter to Gadu, who authored the article.
This comes few days after the former minister came under fire for talking down at Daily Trust’s journalist in a viral video, an incident he has apologised for.
Read Also: ‘I Am Deeply Sorry’ – Femi Fani-Kayode Apologises To Daily Trust Reporter He Insulted
However, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, as well as many other civil organisations, have continued to criticize Fani-Kayode, while many reporters have boycotted his ongoing tour of southern states.
