Fani-Kayode Writes Daily Trust, Demands N6 Billion As Settlement For ‘Defaming’ Him

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has demanded N6 billion as compensation from Daily Trust newspapers for allegedly defaming him.

Fani-Kayode, in a letter written on his behalf by his lawyer, Adeola Adesipe, also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the media house to withdraw what he called “insalubrious” remarks used to describe him in an opinion piece published in the newspaper.

The former minister referred to the article written by Iliyasu Gadu and titled “FFK, The Drug Addled Thug In Designer Wears”, where the writer described him as a “drug addict”.

The newspaper published the article after Fani-Kayode verbally attacked one of its reporters, Charles Eyo, at a recent press conference in Calabar, Cross River State.

Eyo, during the press conference, had asked the former minister who was “bankrolling” his current tour of southern states.

Although Fani-Kayode issued two separate apologies to the reporter for calling him “stupid”, the newspaper had continued to publish acerbic opinion articles against the ex-minister.

Fani-Kayode is now seeking a retraction of the article and unreserved apology from the media house.

The letter dated August 31 partly reads: “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.”