Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has given an online media platform a Seven-day ultimatum to retract all the libelous and criminally defamatory publications against him.
The minister also asked the online media platform to issue a public apology to be published on the platform and on the front pages of three national newspapers for three days or face legal action.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media and Public Relations, Dr Umar Gwandu, the online media platform published defamatory articles that injured the Minister’s character and reputation that is capable of lowering his self-esteem in the eyes of right-thinking people in the society.
The statement noted particularly, that on the 10th, 11th and 12th of July 2020, the online media platform published libelous and criminally defamatory articles against his person that subjected him to considerable distress and psychological trauma.
’’Since the 10th of July 2020 when the defamatory articles were first published, I have been receiving several telephone calls and visits from well-meaning Nigerians, friends, well-wishers and associates from all over the world including those I have dealt with/still dealing with in Official Capacity as Nigeria’s Chief Law Officer, many of whom have expressed serious concerns over the publication’’ the statement read.
The Minister also said it is pertinent to note that the publications were untrue, fabrication or at best a figment of the online media platform and are unsupported howsoever.
He added that his Lawyer has already been briefed to deal with the matter as may be appropriate, in the event of failure to retract the publication by the online media platform.