Fani-Kayode demands N6bn, apology from Daily Trust for defamation

A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has asked the management of Media Trust Limited —publishers of Daily Trust and other publications— to within the next 14 days pay him the sum of N6 billion for alleged defamation of his character.

In an article entitled, “FFK, the Drug Addled Thug in Designer Wears” dated August 30, 2020, and published by the paper, the writer Iliyasu Gadu derided the former minister over his conduct during a recent press conference in Calabar, Cross River State, where Fani-Kayode referred to Eyo Charles, a Daily Trust reporter as “stupid” for asking him to name persons “bankrolling” his tour of some states.

Among other things, Gadu alleged that Fani-Kayode was once “a drug addict”. He also claimed that the former minister once sought for rehabilitation in Ghana but had till date has not been cured of the habit of drug-addicted persons.

Not comfortable with that, Fani-Kayode, in a letter addressed to the Managing Director of Daily Trust, dated August 31, 2020, and titled, ‘Defamation of the character of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by Iliyasu Gadu,’ described the article as libellous and demanded an apology from the newspaper, which must be published in other national dailies.

In the letter signed by his lawyer, Adeola Adesipe, he also demanded that negotiation be entered into for possible payment of N6 billion due to the irreparable loss the article had caused him.

“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.

“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 letter read in part.

The minister equally wrote a similar letter to Gadu, the author of the article.