The attacks on Media houses aimed at stiffling accountability and probilty in the Nigerian public space took a new turn as a lawyer at the Deji Adeyanju & Partners has threatened to jail a reporter of The AUTHORITY Newspaper and shut down the media outfit for accurately reporting a court process and the reaction of a party arising from the case.
In a letter of demand dated June 4, 2024 and addressed to The AUTHORITY, Omorogbe Esq demanded N100 million, immediate publication of an apology in two national dailies and a retraction of “the offensive publication” over what the lawyer described as “unconscionable attempt to ruin the reputation of one Asabe Waziri over a news report titled: Murder: NGO drags IGP to court over failure to release investigation report on Asabe Waziri.
According to Barr. Omorogbe, by using the headline, “you conveyed to the general public the impression that our client is a murderer and a fugitive from justice who should not be associated with by any right-thinking member of the society.
“Our client vehemently denies the insinuations contained in your report as same is aimed at tarnishing her hard-earned reputation that she has cultivated for over three decades”.
The lawyer equally alleged that The AUTHORITY by publishing the report failed to adhere to the tenets of journalism profession, giving this medium seven days to comply with his demands.
The AUTHORITY responds as follows:
Marvin Omorogbe, Esq,
Subject: Response to Legal Threat
Dear Omorogbe, Esq
We are in receipt of your letter dated 4th June, 2024, threatening legal action against our media organization for publishing a news story on the subject matter of your letter, in which we reported accurately an issue that has to do with your client with regard to an order of mamdamus against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on a matter, as accurately reported, in which your client, Asabe Waziri, was named as the key culprit.
We acknowledge that you have denied these allegations and have provided us with your version of events. However, it is our duty as a media organization to report on matters of public interest, especially when they involve individuals who have held public offices or private citizens engaged in actions that are of public interest. That is what section 22 of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) mandates all media houses to do – seek accountability in public space; the society at large.
Please note that the report you referred to is a court matter and demand for action from the IGP which the media, including The AUTHORITY has every right to publish in public interest.
We believe you are aware of the pendency of the matter in court, having been appraised of the particulars of the case as contained in your referenced toxic news report. We did not add anything to the information contained in the statement and facts as presented, neither did we cast aspersions on your client as you have made your client believe.
Relevant documents of the said news story, some of which is published here, proves so.
We understand that you may disagree with our reporting, but we have an obligation to inform our readers of such matters. Our article was based on credible sources and was presented in a fair and impartial manner.
We appreciate your right to defend your client against allegations that have no scintla of fact relating to her or, where such facts are misrepresented.
None of those occured in the news report you referenced. We, therefore, cannot retract or apologize for the coverage of this story.
We believe that it is in the public interest and fair on our part to have published the said news story.
If on the other hand, your client has any further rebuttal against the allegations made in the court against the IGP, she can forward same to us for publication, as it is under her right of reply and we shall not fail to still oblige her.
We reproduce the story you so much attacked us about, for the public to be the judge.
Here is the link to the story complained of:
*NUJ, NGE reject recent attacks on Media houses, journalists
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NJE), have called for caution over the recourse by some security agencies and powerful individuals to use law enforcement agencies and faceless persons to attack Journalists for performing their constitutional duty.
National President of the NUJ, Dr. Chris Isiguzo and the President of the NGE, Mr. Eze Anaba, in separate reactions over the threats, abductions and arrests of Journalists witnessed in the last few months, condemned such acts of barbarism, insisting that they have no place in the Nigerian jurisprudence.
They also condemned the resort by some lawyers to intimidate, harass and put journalists and editors in fear for accurately reporting an event or for making a fair comment over a public matter, saying that lawyers should be the bastion of constitutional democracy and should there tofore not be used to curtail democracy in any form.
They made references to the recent abduction of Madu Onuorah, the Editor-in-Chief of Globalupfront Newspaper Online and Dayo Aiyetan, Executive-Director of the ICIR, investigative journalist, media trainer who were recently abducted following petitions to the police by some “powerful” lawyers over accurate news reports they published and which those lawyers know to be fatual.
The two journalism profession leaders appealed to members of the legal profession and security agencies to halt the attempt to stiffle the press through their actions, stressing that such actions would impinge on the public right to know and endanger free speech, which is a fundamental human right.
