A former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Kyari Dikwa has written to the management of Peoples Gazette, demanding public retraction and apology over alleged defamatory story against him in the June 23, 2023 publication of the online platform.
The letter dated June 23 and titled, “Letter of claim: Defamatory words contained in your online publication of 23 June against Dr. Mohammed Kyari Dikwa and demand for immediate retraction, apology and compensation” was addressed to the Editor/Managing Editor of the Peoples Gazette by Mr. Edwin Inegedu, counsel to Dr. Dikwa.
According to Dikwa’s counsel, “Our client’s attention has been drawn to your recent online publication by one Ahmed Oluwasanjo on June 23, 2023, titled: “Exclusive: Scavengers cart away $4 million from $76 million cash haul stockpiled in Abuja apartment by NDIC manager, Aisha Odariko, ex-perm sec Mohammed Kyari” which is making the rounds on social media platforms including WhatsApp.
“By your publication, which is widely circulated, you falsely and maliciously wrote and published defamatory words which referred to our client, which has caused him considerable distress and embarrassment.”
Inegedu gave the online platform a seven-day ultimatum to respond to the letter or be ready to face a legal action where-in his client shall claim exemplary damages in the sum of N10 billion for libel contained in the defamatory publication, an injunction restraining further publication in any manner whatsoever connected or related to the said or similar words defamatory to him.
