A group, the Concerned Friends of Juwaretu Okaisabor, has cautioned the media to desist from publishing sponsored news reports without proper verification, as some victim of such acts could resort to seeking legal redress.
The group Saturday was reacting via a statement to counter a publication in one of the national dailies (not Blueprint) entitled: “Power drunk police invade Lekki shop, arrest attendant, plot charges”.
According to the Concerned Friends of Juwaretu Okaisabor, the report did not reflect the truth, adding that
the national daily “did not verify any of the report they published on the matter.’
The statement explained that “Sometime in October 2022, Dash Me Store advertised some of their bags online, but withholding some of the details of the bags as used and in very bad conditions.
“Juweretu Okaisabor, innocently made payment for one of the bags which she never knew was defective.”
The group further explained that efforts buy the buyer (Juwaretu) to get her refund after returning the item proved abortive that she had to involve the police in the matter.
The police, after several fruitless visits to one of the outlets of Dash Me Store in Lekki Lagos to resolve the matter met an attendant who deceived the policewomen and escaped but was later arrested.
The statement further explained that “The police officers acted professionally by introducing themselves as police officers and showing Jennifer their identity cards.
“Before the police backup arrived, one other Dash Me Store representative came and was pleading on behalf of Jennifer for assaulting police officers and promised to refund the money tto avoid getting to the police station, but it was at that point the police backup arrived and they all went to the police station.
“It was gathered that immediately they arrived the station, the owner of Dash Me Store called one of her representatives and asked to speak with the DPO.
“She was literally threatening fire and brimstone on the police if her staff was not released immediately!
“The DPO took time to explain what her staff had done to the police officers that went for the invitation, but Dash Me Store’s MD wasn’t having it.
“She threatened using every means to discredit the Nigeria police.
“While Jennifer was still giving account of what transpired at Dash Me Store to the police, some representatives of Dash Me Store quickly reached out to the complainant’s representative and terms of settlement was agreed on tentatively.
“Jennifer apologised to the police officers she had assaulted and even wrote an apology letter, promising never to behave in that manner in the future, as she claimed she acted out of ignorance.
“The matter was resolved within two hours and everyone left the police station.”
“Investigation shows that the bag was paid for on the 6th of October 2022, the bag was received on the evening of the 12th of October 2022 and the same bag was returned on the 14th of October 2022, just two days after the complainant received the bag. All these are verifiable facts, unlike the wrong unverified story that was sponsored and published by Punch media.
“This is a wake-up call for other media houses to desist from being publishing sponsored stories without proper verification, as some victim of such acts could resort to seeking legal redress..”
