FORMER Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has given the management of Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust, 14 days ultimatum to apologise publicly and “enter into negotiations with him” on a demand for N6bn for defamation of character.
The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, in a letter addressed to the Managing Director of Daily Trust, signed by his lawyer, Adeola Adesipe, said the N6bn was “a token amount for penitence as opposed to the magnitude of infraction caused to our client’s nobility.”
The pre-litigation letter was dated August 31, 2020 and titled, “Defamation of the character of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by Iliyasu Gadu.”
The minister was protesting an article written by Gadu in defence of a Calabar reporter of Daily Trust, Eyo Charles, who was insulted at a press conference by Fani-Kayode.
In the article, titled, “FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears”, published in Daily Trust, the writer alleged that the former minister was once a “drug addict”, who had sought rehabilitation in Ghana but had not been cured of the habit “till today.”
Fani-Kayode had repeatedly used the word ‘stupid’, among other denigrating comments, to describe the Daily Trust reporter at the Calabar press conference in reaction to a question the latter asked on who was bankrolling his trips round the country.
His reaction, which came across as very rude and embarrassing, drew criticisms from Nigerians at home and abroad, especially media practitioners.
The former minister, in his letter, however, demanded a public apology from Daily Trust, which he said must be published in the paper and two other “national dailies”, in addition to negotiations for the sum of N6bn.
His lawyer said, “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.”
