FEMI MAKINDE A former Deputy Governor of Osun State,
Senator Iyiola Omisore, has filed a lawsuit
against the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission asking for damages of N10bn for
alleged defamation by declaring him wanted. Omisore, who instituted the case before a
Federal High Court sitting in Abuja is also
seeking an order restraining the EFCC from
further publishing any libelous publication
against him. According to a statement of claim made
available to our correspondent in Osogbo on
Saturday by an ally of Omisore, Mr. Diran
Odeyemi, who is also the spokesperson for
the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State,
the plaintiff joined the spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren as the second
defendant. He claimed that the defendants damaged his
good reputation by allegedly concocting
falsehood against him and portraying him as
somebody who could not be trusted in an
advertorial published in The Nation
newspaper of May 18, 2016. The anti-corruption agency had declared
Omisore wanted for his refusal to honour its
invitation in a case of receiving and
misappropriation of over N700m between
June–November 2014 from the office of the
National Security Adviser. The plaintiff said a court had restrained the
EFCC from arresting him, but despite this order
coupled with the fact that the agency had
issues with him in the case, they declared him
wanted and portrayed him as a fugitive. He stated that the advertorial that
newspapers published portrayed him as a
dishonest person, who was seeking to evade
the law. The statement of claim read in part, “Plaintiff
avers that the content of the publication in
Page 37 of the Nation Newspaper of 25th
May, 2016 is completely false, misleading and
defamatory of the Plaintiff. “The Plaintiff states that by the publication,
the Defendants have damaged his character,
integrity and person by alluding as follows: “That the Plaintiff is a fugitive of
dishonourable character seeking to elude the
law. “That the Plaintiff is a fraudster who has
deliberately refused to honour an invitation
by the 1st Defendant in relation to criminal
allegations of fraud. “That the Plaintiff lacks financial credibility
and has been involved in criminal
misappropriation. “That the Plaintiff’s hard-earned reputation is
questionable. “That the Plaintiff is a person to be avoided
and shunned by the Society being a fugitive
and a man of questionable character.” He explained that sometime in 2014, Fimex
Gilt Ltd. presented some proposals to the
former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd) on some security services it
could render towards combating the scourge
of terrorism and influx of terrorists into the country. The plaintiff stated that Dasuki entered into a
contract with the company on border
protection and intelligence services and the
company was directed to execute the project
and payment would be made. The document read, “Prior to the payment
made by the former National Security Adviser
on the contract, he (the Plaintiff)was
approached and he had loaned Fimex Gilt Ltd
some of the funds required by Fimex Gilt Ltd
to perform the contract. “Upon receipt of the payment by Fimex Gilt
Ltd from the former National Security Adviser
for the execution of the contract, the
Managing Director of Fimex Gilt Ltd known as
Adetona David Famadewa who is well known
to the Plaintiff on behalf of Fimex Gilt Ltd repaid the fund loaned to Fimex Gilt Ltd to the
Plaintiff. “The Plaintiff had no further interests,
affiliations or dealings with Fimex Gilt Ltd and
was not in any way involved in the
performance of the contract between the
former National Security Adviser and Fimex
Gilt Ltd.” He stated further that despite that the
defendants were aware that be had nothing
to do with the company they had continued
to harass and intimidate him, asking him to
refund all monies by the former National
Security Adviser in relation to the contract.
Link: http://www.punchng.com/omisore-sues-efcc-n10bn-alleged-defamation/