Magu slams N5bn suit on newspaper over alleged Abuja mansions

Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has asked publisher of the Sun Newspaper in Abuja to pay him N5 billion naira damages over a report concerning ownership of mansions in Abuja.

Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC Head of Media in a statement Thursday said Magu was seeking the compensation for libelous imputations and statements made against him in a story published on the March 25, 2017 edition of the Saturday Sun.

It said the publication was captioned “Magu Under Fresh Probe over 2 Abuja Mansions”.

Magu’s solicitor, Wahab Shittu, in the letter complained that the authors – Fred Itua, James Ojo and Lawrene Enyoghasu, “wilfully and maliciously made false, destructive, and defamatory statements”.

Magu said that the writers of the report maliciously alleged that Magu owned “two mansions on different streets in highbrow Maitama area of Abuja.

“This is a case which they could not substantiate, and which in fact was false, and nothing but the figments of their imaginations”.

Magu further reiterated that neither himself nor his wife owned any property in Maitama.

Magu, in addition to the demand for N5 billion compensation, wants the publishers to issue a public apology and immediate retraction in writing of these false libelous statements, within the next seven days.

Magu also demanded that it must be published on the front page of the newspaper.

”Failure of which, legal remedies including monetary damages, injunctive reliefs, and an order that you pay necessary costs including solicitor’s fees for your defamation will be taken”, the letter reads.

It added that the publishers were also to provide “written assurance within seven days, that they would cease and desist from further defamation” of Magu’s name, integrity, and reputation.