Nasarawa Poly Rector Drags Journalist To Court Over Alleged Defamation Of Character
By Chetuni Williams, Lafia
Dr. Justina Anjiode Kotso, the Rector of Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia, (Formerly Nasarawa State Polytechnic), has dragged a reporter with Universal Reporters, Rabiu Omaku, to court over an alleged defamatory report where the Rector was accused of embezzling funds meant for the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
Speaking with Journalists in Lafia on Friday, Dr. Kotso through her legal team, M. I. DIKKO & Associates, demanded that the reporter of the online medium, Omaku, writes a retraction of the alleged malicious report which is expected to be published in two national dailies and one local newspaper within seven days of the notice or face legal action.
The legal team of the Rector also demanded for a compensation of 100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) only from the reporter due to the damage the report had done to their client’s reputation.
A letter served to Rabiu Omaku by M. I. Dikko chambers, and obtained by our correspondent on Friday, revealed that apart from the compensation of N100million, the Rector is also demanding that the alleged defamatory report is immediately deleted from the Universal Reporters website.
“We are Counsel to Dr. Justina Anjiode Kotso, the Rector, Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia, Nasarawa State, formerly called Nasarawa State Polytechnic, hereinafter referred to as our client, and on whose firm instructions and on behalf, we write this final demand/retraction notice which we do hope shall receive the urgency it desires.
“Our client informed us and we have seen documentary evidence to the effect that on the 18th day of September, 2023, you published a defamatory article via Universal Reporters, an online news and media outlet website.
“We wish to state without mincing words that our client is an administrator and academia per excellence who has benefitted immensely from the education sector of the country.
“And she has no intention whatsoever of sabotaging the system which she has carved a niche for herself, and has gained for herself national and international recognitions.
“We demand that you immediately publish a retraction and apologize to our client on the website of Universal Reporters, and circulate same widely across social media platforms.
“We demand that you cause a publication of apology/retraction in at least, two national dailies and one local newspaper in Lafia, Nasarawa State without delay. We also demand that you pay the sum of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) only to our client as compensation.
“Failure to meet our client’s simple demands within seven days, we shall have no option but to commence both criminal and civil actions against you in competent courts of law,” the letter read in part.
It would be recalled that on September 18, 2023, Rabiu Omaku wrote a report in Universal Reporters titled: “Rector IMAPOLY (Formerly Nasarawa State Polytechnic) In The Eyes Of The Storm As Allowances Of SIWES Students Disappeared Into Thin Air.”