LAWYER SEEKS RETRACTION OF REPORT ON US-BASED NIGERIAN

A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Kelvin Olu has demanded a retraction of an online post against his client, Mr. Toyosi Stephen Akure, a United States based Nigerian entrepreneur.

In a Pre-Action Notice to one M/s Adeola Abiodun Adebayo titled “NOTICE OF DEFAMATION ON THE PERSON OF MR TOYOSI STEPHEN AKURE AND DEMAND FOR RETRACTION NOTICE THROUGH PUBLIC NOTIFICATION,” the Solicitor alleged that Ms. Adebayo “maliciously misrepresented our Client in the public glare, by deliberating infusing false, dishonest and untrue assertions against him into the minds of right thinking members of the society.

“Consequent on the above, we contend frankly that our Client has been destabilised emotionally and traumatized. The defamation, publication has done more harm than good to his person, business and family at large.

“We therefore request that you within Seven (7) days of this notice to make a swift retraction of your post and tender an unreserved apology on your aforementioned Snap chat account and two (2) national dailies. Failure to comply with our Client’s demands would have us with no option than to take further legal measures against you to enable you do the needful.”

Below is the full text of the Pre-Action Notice.

5th September, 2022

M/S Adeola Abiodun Adebayo,
Victoria Bay Extension 1,
Gate 1, Apartment G13,
Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos.

Dear Madam,

NOTICE OF DEFAMATION ON THE PERSON OF MR TOYOSI STEPHEN AKURE AND DEMAND FOR RETRACTION NOTICE THROUGH PUBLIC NOTIFICATION

We act as Solicitors to Mr Toyosi Akure (herein referred to as our Client) and it is on his firm instruction that we write you this letter.

Our Client informed us on the 5th day of September, 2022 that you published a blog post opinion, piece through your personal Snap chat account with the name “Kiki” which you control and handle in person. Your publication on the blog which has several pictures, telephone contacts and several other personal details of our Client was extended to other platforms wherein you mentioned and brought the attention of our Client and the public at large thereto.

The post you published has also been shared on various websites both on national and international domain. It is on record that the platform whereupon you published this libellous write ups has an expansive audience and followership across the world.

In your publication, you accused our Client amongst several other descriptions that you made of him to being a fraudster, a dirty person, a gigolo, a man of low esteem without dignity or reputation, chronic debtor, a man with no life, a pauper who lacks character training on all sides of life.

You never stopped at that but went as far as misleading the public that our Client who is based and resident in the USA is jobless and endangered specie who should be avoided by all and sundry.

Having falsely represented yourself to have been defrauded by our Client, you also went further to refer to our Clients’ family, parent, child, close associates, friends, well-wishers and other random members of the society / public.

The trend which you created in the online public domain bearing the pictures, contact and other personal details of our Client repeatedly represented / presented him to the public as a fraudster, a man with no value, a gigolo and one with an outright moral decadence. The intention of your post could be deduced from its face value.

The post that you published is defamatory and not in any way true. In effect, you have maliciously misrepresented our Client in the public glare, by deliberately infusing false, dishonest and untrue assertions against him into the minds of right thinking members of the society in an attempt to ridicule / shame and make the general public to hate and scorn our Client.

The message that was directed to the entire public sends a wrong signal to the world at large. We also wish to inform you that the resuscitating solemnization of our Client is at the verge of termination due to the statement directed to our Client.

It is pitiful that individuals as yourself abused the constitutional freedom of speech and expression. Hence, expressions that do not have basis or justification will not be condoned and tolerated whatsoever.

In effect, you have maliciously misrepresented our Client in the public glare, by deliberating infusing false, dishonest and untrue assertions against him into the minds of right thinking members of the society.

Consequent on the above, we contend frankly that our Client has been destabilised emotionally and traumatized. The defamation, publication has done more harm than good to his person, business and family at large.

We therefore request that you within Seven (7) days of this notice to make a swift retraction of your post and tender an unreserved apology on your aforementioned Snap chat account and two (2) national dailies. Failure to comply with our Client’s demands would have us with no option than to take further legal measures against you to enable you do the needful.

Please be advised accordingly.

Yours Faithfully,

FOR: ELLALOV SOLICITORS

KELVIN A. OLU, ESQ.

 

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