Lawyers to a firm, Activate Technologies Limited are currently working on a N500billion suit to be filed in protest against a malicious report linking it to alleged corruption in the reappointment of Prof Mahmood Yakubu as the INEC Chairman.
Mahmud Magaji (SAN), who is leading the firm’s legal team, made reference to this in a protest letter directed at the authorities of an online medium, Saraha Reporters, which is credited with the said report.
Magaji said the report was a fabricated falsehood intended to malign his client’s reputation and defame its character.
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He wants the online medium to retract the publication and publish apologies in two national dailies within 72 hours.
The letter, dated November 23, 2020, reads: “Our client has informed us that you published on your online platform, various spurious fabrication and malicious falsehoods; all in a veiled attempt to malign its reputation, thereby defaming its character.
“The falsehoods that you maliciously authored against our client have thus prompted a viral social media circus and the attendant propagation of innuendoes, with particular reference to Sahara Reporters’ online post of the 18th day of November 2020, thus:
“According to a top insider, Yakubu paid at least N3bn in bribes to have his tenure as INEC Chairman extended by another five years.
“He paid a princely sum of N2bn to a group led by Senate President Ahimed Lawal and another N1bn to another group.
“These huge funds were deployed and mobilised by a civil servant and director in INEC, who is described as wealthy and in charge of all strategic department.
“The director was also aided by a contractor to the commission, Mohammed Sani Musa, who is presently a serving senator from Niger State responsible for the printing of INEC ballot papers used for elections under a company (Activate Technologies)…..’
“Needless to state that your above statements are spurious and utterly false, and constitute defamatory remarks against our client as they are calculated at maligning its blemish-free reputation.
“Consequent upon the above, you are hereby given 72 hours, inclusive of the date on this letter, to retract the above statements and tender an unreserved apology to our client.
“Such retraction and apology shall be explicitly published on two national dailies.
“Should you fail, refuse, and/or neglect to retract the said statements and tender an unreserved public apology in the manner prescribed herein, we shall have no choice than to subject you to the rigours of litigation; whereof we shall be claiming the sum of =N=500,000,000,000.00 (five hundred billion naira only); and this we shall do without any further reference to you.”
