Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Monday filled a N500m libel
suit against Chief Olisa Metuh of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP.
The ministerial nominee in his brief instituted before
the Lagos State High court, Ikeja, claimed that the
PDP spokesperson had defamed him in a press
release, authored and circulated on September 20,
2015.
The controversial release, according to him, alleged
that he (Mohammed) siphoned the funds meant for
fencing of an airport in one of the APC-controlled
states in the South-West part of the country.
Mohammed also claimed that Metuh in the
statement alleged that he (Mohammed) embezzled
money meant to supply ambulances to an APC-
controlled state in the South-West.
The suit, filed on Monday is yet to be assigned to
any judge.
However, Mohammed, who noted he previously
headed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign
Organisation, disclosed that the statement credited
to Metuh was "carefully calculated to inflict damage
on my reputation and to lessen me in the estimation
of the public."
According to him, Metuh in the statement had said,
"…our final word for the APC spokesman on this, is
that being ethically challenged, includes embezzling
funds meant for fencing an airport in an APC-led
South-West state.
"It also includes when one fraudulently refuses to
supply ambulances after collecting monies from
another APC South-West state.
"It is 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."
Claiming monetary damage, Mohammed stated that
Mehuh had injured his "character in a grave manner
and caused him considerable reputational
destruction and embarrassment."
He added that Metuh admitted authorising the
statement in a letter by his lawyer, Emeka Etiaba
(SAN) dated September 25, 2015 to the claimant's
lawyer, Wahab Shittu, but denied that it was
Mohammed that was being referred to.
Mohammed, however, quoted Etiaba to have also
referred to an earlier statement where he
(Mohammed) also attacked Metuh by stating that
"the allegations of corruption hanging on his (Metuh)
neck, from within his own party, is a clear indication
that he is mortally afraid that the wind will soon
blow hard enough to expose the fowl's rump…"
Mohammed, however, insisted that he made the
said statement based on a petition to the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission written against
Metuh on July 15, 2015 by the PDP, Nkwelle-
Ezunaka Ward 1, in the Oyi Local Government
chapter of Anambra State.
The APC spokesperson is, therefore, demanding an
order mandating Metuh to not only retract his
statement but to also tender published apology to
him in a widely read newspaper for seven
consecutive days.
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