By Osaigbovo Iguobaro
Haruna Yusuf Abiona, former Special Adviser on Security to Edo State governor,  Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has demanded the sum of N3.6 billion and a written apology from the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Col. David Imuse (Rtd) and Mr. Tony Kabaka Adun and two others for alleged defamatory statements and publications against him.

The development, was in response to “some malicious publications that falsely ascribe to Haruna Yusuf Abiona as the mastermind behind the mayhem and terror unleashed” in front of Oba of Benin palace in September last year.

Haruna in a letter through his solicitors Ainabebholo Attorneys, requested that Imuse, Kabaka and the others – the State Deputy Chairman, Edo North APC, Caretaker Committee, Emperor Jarret Tenebe and the President, Professional Drivers on Wheel, Edo State, Mr. Adams Ehigiamusoe Shaba, within (14) days of service of the letter to “retract the said false and malicious publications through six national Dailies circulating in Nigeria, social Media platforms and broadcasting were made and tender a letter of apology”.

According to the breakdown, the solicitors threatened to institute an action of defamation for the sum of N300 million each against  Kabaka, Shaba and their agents as damages as well as N1 billion and N2 billion against Tenebe and Imuse respectively.

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A copy of one of the letters dated February 19, 2021 and made available to journalists in Benin City, reads: “some of the false and malicious publications are that you falsely describe our client, Haruna Yusuf Abiola as the mastermind behind the mayhem and terror unleashed at the front of the palace of the Oba of Benin.

“You also stated that Haruna Yusuf Abiola is blood thirsty who introduced banditry in Edo Politics, false claiming that our client is issuing death threats and physical assault to members of APC.

“The above false and malicious publications deliberately made by you in various Media platforms, widely circulated in the whole world with million of people accessing such platforms for the purpose of tarnishing our client’s image, reducing him to an irresponsible, violent and wicked person in the minds of the public as a retired senior police officer and a top Government official”, the letter said.

Contacted, the Caretaker Committee Chairman Edo APC, Col. David Imuse (Rtd), is yet to respond to the inquiry from our Correspondent as at the time of filing this report.