Reno Omokri, Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on New Media has threaten to sue SaharaReporters to court if it fails to publish an apology within three business days over “a malicious story” published by online citizens reporter website.
In a letter by Omokri’s lawyer, Iyoke Michael, noted that the story titled, “Jonathan’s Aide, Omokri Burglarizes House in Delta, Carts Away N25, Million Meant For Buying Votes” is completely false and was published with the view of damaging his client’s reputation.
“Be it known to you that Mr. Omokri did not lead armed men to a residence in Warri or any other place. The last time my client visited Warri was in December of 2012.
“My client has been in Abuja for the past one week. On Tuesday the 10th of February 2015 when you falsely alleged that my client led armed men to burglarize a property in Warri, my client was at his office in Asokoro in the company of witnesses and received visitors, he also performed pastoral duties to members of the congregation of a local church over which he is a pastor,” the letter, which can be downloaded HERE, said.
Iyoke berating SaharaReporters, a New York based Nigerian owned website, for failing to cross check facts before going to press.
Read full statement below:
I refer to your story about my client entitled ‘Jonathan’s Aide, Omokri Burglarizes House in Delta, Carts Away N25, Million Meant For Buying Votes’ and do state that your story iscompletely false and that you did not investigate the facts before libelling my client, Mr. Reno Omokri.
Be it known to you that Mr. Omokri did not lead armed men to a residence in Warri or any other place. The last time my client visited Warri was in December of 2012.
My client has been in Abuja for the past one week. On Tuesday the 10th of February 2015 when you falsely alleged that my client led armed men to burglarize a property in Warri, my client was at his office in Asokoro in the company of witnesses and received visitors, he also performed pastoral duties to members of the congregation of a local church over which he is a pastor.
In the weeks before then my clients had either been in Abuja or out of the country ministering and attending to his family. At no time in the last two years has my client travelled to Warri, a fact which is provable.
Therefore, we are at a loss as to how you came about your story that my client led armed men to burglarize a property in Warri. Your website may be a soft sell medium, but that does not take away your responsibility to cross check facts via investigation before going to press.
Please be advised that we demand that you publish an apology within 3 Business Days or my client will institute libel proceedings against you in New York State from where you operate to clear his name of the false allegations you made against him on your site.
