Defamation: Pantami rejects Newspaper’s apology

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami has instructed his lawyers to continue the legal action against Daily Independent Newspaper despite its apology over its publication that linked the minister to a terror group.

The newspaper had in the report stated that the Minister had been placed on the watch list the United States over its purported link to a terror group.

• Soldiers deployed to stop Benue-Ebonyi boundary clash
• Bandits attack Niger market, kill 5 vigilantes, injure many others

While responding to the retraction Daily Independent published on its Twitter page, the minister, through his Counsel, Michael Jonathan Numa Esq., described the apology as inadequate.

The minister described the report published on Sunday edition of 11th of April, 2021, with the title “Disquiet as America Places Nigerian Minister on Watch List”, as unfounded.

Numa in a statement made available to newsmen said, ”The Newspaper article had contained grave defamatory statements impugning the hard-earned reputation of our client.

”The Daily Independent Newspaper has now purportedly retracted the grossly libelous statements and allegations via its twitter handle (@IndependentNGR) on the 14th day of April, 2021, claiming that they have realized that the publication ‘has not been verified to be true’. This is an affirmation of the high level of irresponsibility exhibited by the Media House which prides itself as “the most read newspaper among the political and business elites”.

”A defamatory publication containing such grave and unverified allegations cannot be wished away by a bland and emotionless tweet which does not show contriteness for the immeasurable and malignant damage done to our Client’s pristine reputation.

”The said retraction having not met our client’s demand leave us with no option than to pursue every legal means to guard the hard earned reputation of our client as earlier indicated in our letter of 12th April, 2021.”