Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has threatened to file a N2 billion suit against the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on social media, Lauretta Onochie, for damaging his character and reputation through the spread of “lies” on twitter. In the alternative, Atiku asked Onochie to, among others, pay the sum of N500m and tender a written apology.
In Atiku’s letter which was addressed to Onochie and signed by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the former Vice-President expressed disgust with Onochie’s post on Twitter in which she claimed that Atiku is on United Arab Emirates’ terror watch list. Ozekhome said the letter was sequel to a defamatory publication made by Onochie on May 7, alleging that Atiku was shopping for terrorist in the Middle East thereby portraying him as an evil man, mentor or terrorists and someone who has links with terrorist.
“Our client categorically denies each and every allegation contained in the said publication which is a figment of your imagination. Our client states most emphatically that the entire opprobrious and denigrating story above referred to is most misleading, baseless, false, malicious and totally bereft of any foundation.’
The former Vice President denied having been on any watch list and challenged Onochie to prove her allegation. The presidential candidate asked Onochie to publish a retraction in six national newspapers and one international daily as well as on social media.
Ozekhome’s letter reads: “We have our client’s instructions to demand and we hereby demand from you the following: That you publish and tender a written retraction and apology for the said libelous publication in six national dailies circulating in Nigeria and one international daily as well as on all social media platforms wherein the said publication was made.
“That you pay to our client through the firm, the sum of N500,000,000 only, representing minimal damages to assuage his already battered image wholly caused by your said defamatory publication.
Take notice that if you fail or refuse to accede to our modest demands within the next 48 hours from the date of this letter, we shall be compelled to activate the full weight of the legal machinery against you without any further recourse to you. We shall be, in such a suit, claiming against you the sum of N2bn, representing exemplary aggravated and punitive damages.”
The lawyer said that his client was not and had never been on the watch list of the UAE or any other country. He added Atiku had never been denied entry into the UAE or interrogated by its authorities or security agents.
“It is quite revealing that even as we write this letter, our client is presently in the UAE and has not been accosted by any security agencies over the said frivolous and baseless allegations. The presidential candidate asked Onochie to publish a retraction in six national newspapers and one international daily, as well as on all social media platforms where the said publication was made
