‘Public Notice on Koku wasn’t Meant to Defame Him’

Ugo Aliogo

The report that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Babajide Koku, alleged that Timbo Ayrinde, requested Forte Oil Plc to pay N500 million to Neptune Energy Service Limited has been retracted, and wasn’t meant to deform his character.

The retraction came as THISDAY attention was drawn to a legal notice filed by Koku’s counsel, Bolaji Ayorinde and Co, as it was learnt that the report was erroneously published on August 11.

It is noted that the report which was regrettably published was not intended to defame Koku’s personality and goodwill

Accordingly, the words of the publication were misunderstood to mean that Koku was knowingly carrying out unethical and corrupt practices in his profession as a legal practitioner and also aided and abetted criminal activities, which are also regrettable.

The notice issued by Koku’s counsel stated that: “The said libellous imputations and statements are unfounded in fact and are wilfully malicious and contrived to inflict damage on the reputation, goodwill and credit of our client and expose him to opprobrium in the eyes of the public.”

Therefore, with the expression of displeasure over the publication by his attorney, which wasn’t intended to tarnish anybody’s image, THISDAY express its sincere apology to Koku over the report and assures him and the public of further cooperation.

According to THISDAY, “We would like to state here that the publication was not intentionally written to destroy the reputation of this individual, we therefore regret the loss of goodwill and trust it has caused him in the public and we promise to desist from act that might cause disaffection.”