Nigeria’s VicePresident, Yemi Osinbajo has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, over the defamation of his character by a blogger, Jackson Ude.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Ude, who is the publisher of an online medium, Point Blank News, had alleged that Osinbajo received N4 billion recovered funds from Ibrahim Magu, the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In the petition written on his behalf by his lawyer, Bayo Osipitan, vice president Osinbajo asked the police chief to probe and prosecute Ude for libel. He subsequently attached printed copies of some of the blogger’s reports to the petition.
The petition dated July 8, 2020, and titled, ‘Criminal Defamation of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), GCON by Jackson Ude’ said the story authored by Ude is false and misleading.
Osinbajo told the police boss that this is not the first time the blogger will be publishing malicious articles against his person, saying that the articles were defamatory and capable of bringing him to ridicule before members of the public.
The vice president said Ude also likened him to the alleged international fraudster, Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi, by calling him ‘Hush-bajo’.
The petition read in part, “These vicious and malicious publications are meant to achieve one objective only, to present to his readership and others (Nigerians and foreigners) that our client is a dishonest and disloyal public officer and consequently unfit for the position of Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria he is occupying.
“We are of the view that unless an action for criminal defamation is commenced against the said Mr. Jackson Ude, he will continue to use his social media platform to publish materials that are false and criminally defamatory of our client’s reputation.
“In view of the above, we humbly request that you cause the above allegations made against our client to be investigated and if the suggested investigation confirms our complaint of the falsehood of these allegations, to initiate criminal proceedings pursuant to the provisions of Sections 391-395 of the Penal Code Act for criminal defamation against the said Jackson Ude.”
Why this approach? Wht should the state take over a defamation on the VP behalf. The VP should seek redress in the courts if he truly feels he has been defamed. Why this approach. Somebody is defaming you, dragging your name in the mud and all you do is to ask the police to prosecute the defamer. No. this is naive