Libel: Major Akerejola threatens People”s Gazette with lawsuit, tasks Journalists on responsible Reportage
ATABOR JULIUS LOKOJA
Against the damaging effect of defamatory publication, against Major Olafimihan Akerejola rtd, he has threatened to institute lawsuit against the Peoples Gazette if it fails to retract the said story against him.
Major Akerejola made the disclosure in a press conference held on Thursday in Lokoja.
Recall that People’s Gazette had carried a story with caption: Exclusive, Nigerian Army General Akerejola’s family accuses him of looting soldiers’ budget to run private firms, buys million dollars US property, which allegedly linked to him.
The retired military officer noted that the publication has maligned his primary constituency – the Nigerian Military and also caused serious embarrassment to his reputation as he received countless calls from within and outside the country.
He said , his professional training afforded him, the courage and might to fight gallantry and not to fight as a coward, owning up to what he has done or said , without fears of who is involved, saying , he was at no time written any petition to anti graft agencies, lamented the grave dangers the said publication has caused him.
According to him” for the avoidance of doubt, I’m here saying it categorically that I had no hand whatsoever in the writing or submission of any such petition. The claims linking me to the said publication is false , unfounded, misleading and to create bad blood within my family”
He lamented that the people’s gazette threw to the dogs the basic demand of their professional calling to reach out to him before rushing to publishing, stressing that the action was a clear indication that the whole thing was a hatchet job.
He urged the Nigerian Army ,anti graft agencies, media platforms and the general public to disregard the story in its entirety as it related to him, tasking the publisher to retract the story within stipulated day or risk lawsuit.
While stressing the importance of journalism practice to the development of the nation, kicked against social media turning themselves into hawks to invade the noble journalism profession.
According to him ” this press conference is to correct the record and protect my name from further misrepresentation and let the me assure you that I’m ready and willing to get to the bottom of it. As a citizen of Nigeria, I wouldn’t sit and watch any one or organization to bring my hard earned reputation thrown to the mud.”
While appealing to the media to be responsibly guided by the ethics of the profession, should work hard to weed out quacks from their fold in order to restore the confidence the people have reposed for the profession.
