THE NEWS NIGERIA
Lawyers to Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, today, 30 September 2024, wrote a letter to Kemi Lawrence (nee Olunloyo) to retract her defamation video or face a N10 billion defamation suit.
The law firm, Charles Musa and Co, referred to Olunloyo’s YouTube video aired on 27th September 2024 with the following captions, “How Attorney Femi Falana allegedly bought stolen goods and property (cars and houses) from the EFCC for years during the Ribadu administration #Kemitalks Part 2”, “Femi Falana allegedly purchased seized EFCC cars and homes. He has a strong link with the agency”, “How Mr Femi Falana bought houses and cars seized by the EFCC in the 90’s era. Politicians and Yahoo boys were ripped off. A human rights lawyer buying proceeds of CRIME” and others.
Ribadu, through the law firm, has demanded the following:
A written apology to our Client to be issued forthwith to him personally and on YouTube
A full retraction of the video in its entirety. 3. Publication of the retraction in:
-You Tube
-A full-page advertorial in at least five nationwide newspapers.
– Ten reputable and well-read online news sites.
– Seven national and international television stations.
– Ten radio channels with national and international reach.
Payment of N10,000,000,000.00 (Ten Billion Naira) as damages for reputational and other injuries. Take notice that if our demands are not met within seven days, we shall proceed with our Client’s further instructions, including taking legal action to enforce his rights.”
The law firm went further:
“Your video was replete with falsehoods including the following,
The EFCC existed in the 90s: the EFCC was created by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2002. Our Client was appointed as the pioneer Chairman of the EFCC following its establishment in 2003.
That our Client was involved in the selling of properties (houses and cars)seized by the EFCC during his tenure as its Chairman: the truth is that during the five-year tenure of our Client as the Chairman of the EFC, NO seized or other property was ever sold by the EFCC.
All the properties seized by it, including houses and cars, were forfeited to the federal government under Orders of the Court which said Orders were granted under the EFCC Act 2003 which provided that seized properties were to be forfeited to the Federal Government. Indeed, the scope of duties of our Client whilst he was the Chairman of EFCC did not include selling of seized or other properties and the EFCC did not have such powers.”
Below is the full letter:
30th September, 2024
Dr. Kemi Lawrence, nee Olunloyo
E-mail: kemiolunloyo444@gmail.com
Dear Madam, DEFAMATORY PUBLICATION AGAINST MALLAM NUHU RIBADU
Re: YouTube video reference No.https://youtu.be/in1gvSBQ)0r8?si=TUXI9OtegjAnb8iN
We write on the instructions of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser(NSA) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (“our Client”). Our letter is about your captioned YouTube video aired on 27th September 2024 with the following captions “How Attorney Femi Falana allegedly bought stolen goods and property (cars and houses) from from the EFCC for years during the Ribadu administration #Kemitalks Part 2”, “Femi Falana allegedly purchased seized EFCC cars and homes. He has a strong link with the agency”, “How Mr Femi Falana bought houses and cars seized by the EFCC in the 90’s era. Politicians and Yahoo boys were ripped off. A human rights lawyer buying proceeds of CRIME” and “Can this allegation levelled against Bar Femi.
Falana by Dr Kemi Lawrence nee Olunloyo is true that he bought Seized Properties & Cars from EFCC”. The video slanderously and falsely alleges, amongst others, that our Client was selling assets recovered from Yahoo Boys in the 1990s by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to Mr Femi Falana SAN.
Your video was replete with falsehoods including the following,
The EFCC existed in the 90s: the EFCC was created by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2002. Our Client was appointed as the pioneer Chairman of the EFCC following its establishment in 2003.
That our Client was involved in the selling of properties (houses and cars)seized by the EFCC during his tenure as its Chairman: the truth is that during the five-year tenure of our Client as the Chairman of the EFC, NO seized or other property was ever sold by the EFCC.
All the properties seized by it, including houses and cars, were forfeited to the federal government under Orders of the Court which said Orders were granted under the EFCC Act 2003 which provided that seized properties were to be forfeited to the Federal Government. Indeed, the scope of duties of our Client whilst he was the Chairman of EFCC did not include selling of seized or other properties and the EFCC did not have such powers.
Consequently, our Client could not have sold any properties seized by EFCC to Mr Femi Falana or any other person for that matter.
By this particular falsehood you have accused our Client of impunity in the discharge of official duties, gross abuse of public office and breach of public trust, inter alia, all of which he is innocent of. c. That EFCC, under our Client’s Chairmanship, seized properties of Yahoo boys: the truth is that Yahoo boys were a much later phenomenon that came on the scene in Nigeria long after our Client had concluded his term as Chairman of EFCC. Your malicious and slanderous video shared with your over 65,000 followers and with 26,000 views, and counting, as of the time of this letter, has brought our client into public disdain and odium.
