A formal pre-action notice has been issued to The Sun newspaper by the law firm Chamo & Ismail regarding a defamatory article published on May 17, 2024, titled “EFCC to arraign suspended NCAA DG, Nuhu on graft allegations.”
According to the law firm, the article contains false and damaging statements about their client, Captain Musa Nuhu, the current Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The notice, signed by U.U Chamo, Esq, Principal Partner, and titled “Pre-Action Notice Defamatory Publication in Re: Capt. Musa Nuhu, DG, NCAA,” states that the article incorrectly implies Captain Nuhu’s involvement in graft and his impending arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Your news piece is not only entirely unfounded but also contains several statements that are false, misleading, and injurious to our client’s reputation. These include the claim that Capt. Nuhu is to be arraigned by the EFCC on graft allegations, suggesting established culpability and a prima facie case warranting arraignment, and the false assertion that his suspension is a direct result of a proven graft allegation.”
The letter further asserts that the newspaper’s report has severely harmed Captain Nuhu’s professional reputation and personal well-being by making factually incorrect statements.
“While these statements are factually incorrect, they have caused significant harm to our client’s professional reputation and personal well-being,” it states.
The notice explains that the article meets the criteria for defamation under Nigerian law, which occurs when a false statement about someone is published to a third party and causes injury to the subject’s reputation.
“Be educated thus that under Nigerian law, defamation occurs when a false statement is made about someone, published to a third party, and causes injury to the subject’s reputation. Your publication, in our informed judgment, meets all these criteria,” the notice explains.
The notice demands the immediate retraction of the article and removal of the link within 72 hours of receipt. The publication of the article is alleged to have caused significant harm to Captain Nuhu’s reputation, and the notice seeks to rectify this harm by requiring the retraction.
