Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode versus Daily Trust
Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, has demanded that the management of Media Trust Limited the publishers of Daily Trust and other publications enter into a negotiation with him for possible settlement of N6bn for defamation of character.
Fani-Kayode made this known in a letter dated August 31, 2020, addressed to the Managing Director of Daily Trust, and titled, ‘Defamation of the character of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by Iliyasu Gadu’.
The letter, which was signed by the Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Adeola Adesipe, was in response to an article that was published in a newspaper, titled, ‘FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears’ and dated August 30, 2020.
In the article, the writer lambasted the former Minister for his conduct during a Press conference in which he described a Daily Trust reporter in Calabar, Eyo Charles, as ‘stupid’ after the journalist asked question about the identity of persons “bankrolling” his current tour of southern states.
Gadu, the writer of the article, claimed that Fani-Kayode, who attended Cambridge University, was once “a drug addict” and had sought rehabilitation in Ghana, but “till today has not been cured of the habit”.
Fani-Kayode, however, in his pre-litigation letter, described the article as libelous and hence demanded an apology from the newspaper, which must be published in other national dailies.
The former minister also demanded that negotiation be entered into for possible payment of N6bn due to the irreparable loss the article had caused him.
The letter reads in part, “Be aware that our client has not only suffered immeasurable loss of goodwill, he is currently confronted with unbearable opprobrium by his fans, followers and colleagues across the globe”.
It further reads, “Our client is alive to his rights both in law and equity but is disposed to an opportunity to undo the evil you have done by retracting the said insalubrious remarks on the same platform it was published and apologising to him in two other national dailies”.
“You are also advised to enter into negotiations with us for the sum of N6bn being a token amount for penitence as opposed to the magnitude of infraction caused to our client’s nobility”.
The newspaper (Daily Trust) has been given 14 days to comply or face legal action.
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