Osinbajo Writes IGP, Wants Allegations Linking Him To N4bn From Magu Probed

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, to investigate some allegations written against his person by an online journalist, asking further that if the investigation confirms his claims that the allegations are false, the IGP should initiate criminal proceedings against the person.

Osinbajo had through his legal representatives, Bayo Osipitan and Co, written a letter to the IGP asking that criminal proceedings be initiated against an online journalist, Jackson Ude, who publishes under the pen name, Pointblank News in pursuant to provisions of Sections 391-395 of the Penal Code Act for Criminal Defamation if police investigations reveal that Ude’s assertions are false.

According to the letter, Jackson Ude, who publishes online articles via social media handles like Twitter and his website identified as www.pointblanknews.com, on July 8, 2020, published materials that are criminally defamatory to the Vice President, adding that the said publications are injuriously false in every respect.

The lawyers further claimed that the online story was titled, “How Magu embezzled N39billion, gave Osinbajo N4million, begs for soft landing” is available on his website, adding that he also used his Twitter account @jacksonpbn to push defamatory stories against the Vice President Inna tweet which read, “HushBajo. N4billion. The Ghana investment. Okechukwu Enelamah the errand boy. The secretly recorded night vigil prayers at the Villa Chapel. The letter of resignation written for Buhari in Tunis by Tinubu/Osinbajo while Ba was sick. The scheming to take over. Etc. This na payback.”

Bayo Osipitan and Co alleged further that the tweets and publications were made on a Twitter account with over 46,000 followers, some of whom have retweeted the same message over hundreds of times and had elicited responses targeted at the vice president ranging from shock and outrage to comments that cast aspersion on his integrity.

They said further that, “the tweets and reactions thereto have also been circulated widely on other social media platforms including Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as other online websites including Newsreel with the caption “EFCC PROBE: VP Osinbajo allegedly indicted over N4billion recovered loot diversion” on its website and also on its YouTube channel.

It was alleged that the statements published by Ude are false in every material respect and are designed to injure the reputation of Osinbajo by achieving the single goal of representing to his readership and other people that the vice president is a dishonest and disloyal public officer and consequently unfit for the position he is occupying.

They concluded that “we are of the view that unless an action for criminal defamation is commenced against the said Mr Jackson Ude, he will continue to use his social media platform to publish materials that are false and criminally defamatory to our clients’ reputation” and had asked that the IGP investigate the matter and initiate appropriate criminal proceedings.

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