The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has written the inspector General of Police (IGP) demanding justice over alleged publications by Sahara Reporters, an online newspaper published by Omoyele Sowore, which he said defamed him.
The AGF alleged in the letter to the IGP that Sowore falsely levelled allegations against him, making him look like a criminal in the eyes of the public.
He therefore demanded a retraction from Sowore within seven days or he would go to court.
A statement on Friday from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and signed by spokesman to the minister, Umar Gwandu, said the publications were defamatory and malicious in nature.
The letter to the IGP, tittled ‘LETTER AGAINST MR. OMOYELE SOWORE/SAHARA REPORTERS INC. FOR MALICIOUS LIBEL AND CRIMINAL DEFAMATION AGAINST MR. ABUBAKAR MALAMI, SAN’, and written by Sunday Ameh (SAN), counsel to Malami, said in part: “We are the Solicitors to Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN (hereinafter referred to as Mr. Malami/our Client), a foremost and successful legal practitioner, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and the current Chief Law Officer of the Federation cum Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“For the records Sir, Mr. Malami is a second-term Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice who has been returned due to his exemplar leadership of the anti-corruption programme of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Under the supervision of Mr. Malami as Attorney General, the extant National Anti-Corruption Strategy was conceived, designed, approved by the Federal Executive Council and is currently being implemented. Mr. Malami’s re-appointment as Attorney General is first of its kind, and to our mind, a testimony of his unparalleled performance in Office, especially in driving the anti-corruption agenda of the government among others.
“Mr Omoyele Sowore is the publisher of an online media outfit- Sahara Reporters Inc., a company based in New York, USA but broadcasts news and other information on the internet via the Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and other similar Social Media Platforms where same could be viewed and assessed by the whole world and further shared and/or disseminated virally without restraint.
“On the 10th, 11th and 12th of July 2020, Mr. Sowore/Sahara Reporters, in what appears like a coordinated attack, viciously inter alia wrote and maliciously published.
“In sum, the libelous publications contained direct allegations and inuendos … Notwithstanding that the stories untrue and false; Mr. Sowore/Sahara Reporters published the defamatory articles in issue mala fide, with intention to ridicule our client before the whole world.
“Client has since the 10th of July 2020 when the malicious criminal libel were first published, received and still receives several telephone calls and visits from well-meaning Nigerians, his friends, well-wishers and associates from all over the world including those he has dealt with/still dealing with in his Official Capacity as Nigeria’s Chief Law Office many of whom have expressed serious concerns as to his alleged conducts as reported by Sahara Reporters.
“The criminal libel published against our Client by Mr. Sowore/Sahara Reporters was calculated to disparage our Client who is a responsible citizen, foremost Legal Practitioner, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in order to bring him into hatred, ridicule, odium and contempt before a large number of Nigerian citizens in their millions and others worldwide and to lower his estimation in the eyes of right thinking persons. …
“The Inspector General may also note that, as it is their custom, Mr. Sowore/Sahara Reporters are in the habit of publishing libelous articles against innocent Nigerians- most of which has turned out to be false, and had published similar libelous article against our Client in the past which led to the institution of a defamation suit against…. Sample fake publications earlier published by Mr. Sowore/Sahara Reporters which can be assessed at saharareporters.com are attached herewith as Annexure for ease of reference.
“Sir, in the premise of the foregoing and given that the publication of malicious libel and criminal defamation published against our Client by Mr. Sowore/Sahara Reporters was with a view to disparage him in the eyes of right thinking persons, contrary to Nigerian Criminal and Penal Laws and a gross violation of our Client’s Right to Dignity of Human Person as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended), we hereby humbly appeal that you use your good offices to investigate the criminal acts perpetrated by Mr. Sowore/Sahara Reporters as implicated in this petition so that the Law can take its course against anyone found culpable. Our Client deserves justice!
“Similarly, the Attorney-General of the Federation has written and served the publishers of Sahara Reporters. The letter was titled: RE: PUBLICATIONS OF MALICIOUS LIBEL AND CRIMINAL DEFAMATION AGAINST MR. ABUBAKAR MALAMI, SAN BY SAHARA REPORTERS INC.
“In the premise of the foregoing and given that the publication of malicious libel and criminal defamation published against our client by Sahara Reporters was with a view to disparage him in the eyes of right thinking persons, contrary to Nigerian Criminal and Penal Laws and a gross violation of our Client’s Right to Dignity of Human Person as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended), TAKE NOTICE that you are hereby issued a -7 day ultimatum to retract all the libelous and criminally defamatory publications, and cause to be issued a public apology to be published on your platform and on the front page of three newspapers with nationwide circulation for three consecutive days failing which we shall be left with no other option than to allow the law to take its course against your organization”.
