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Lai Mohammed, national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has filed a N500 million libel suit against Olisa Metuh, his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mohammed had earlier threatened to take legal action against Metuh for alleging that he embezzled the funds meant for fencing of an airport in Osun state. “The APC spokesman is being ethically challenged … includes embezzling funds meant for fencing of an airport in an APC-led south west state. It also includes fraudulently refusing to supply ambulances after collecting monies from another APC southwest state,” Metuh said in a statement issued on September 20.
“It is then a comedy of roles when Alhaji Lai Mohammed speaks on corruption, a topic he practices and has well learnt, being a personal aide to one of the most corrupt politicians to ever bestride the political landscape of the country.”
However, Mohammed said Metuh’s statement was targeted at inflicting “damage on my reputation and to lessen me in the estimation of the public”. Through Wahab Shittu, his lawyer, Mohammed said Metuh’s “wilfully and maliciously false, destructive and defamatory statements exposed him to public opprobrium”.
Mohammed said the allegations were unsubstantiated as neither him nor any of his companies embezzled funds meant for fencing of an airport or was involved in a contract to supply ambulances to any state.
Apart from the monetary compensation, Mohammed, who filed the suit before the Lagos state high court, prayed for an order directing the defendant to publish an apology to him and “retract the libellous material in a widely read newspaper for seven consecutive days”.
He also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining “Metuh, his cronies, or any newspaper/magazine from further publishing or disseminating the libellous materials or something similar”.
The APC spokesman said the publication has “seriously” damaged his personal and professional reputation and caused him considerable pain, distress and embarrassment, resulting in his suffering loss of esteem.
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