Vice President Osinbajo begins legal moves against those linking him to collapsed Ikoyi building

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has commenced compilation of the list of individuals and media platforms publishing or republishing the story that he is connected to the high-rise building under construction that collapsed in Ikoyi Lagos on Monday.

According to a statement by his solicitor, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, the compilation is “for the purpose of commencing civil actions in court, in any jurisdiction where such publication occurs.”

The statement, addressed to “All Media Houses, Journalists, Online Publishers, Bloggers, WhatsApp and other Social Media Group Leaders, etc” said that the publications linking the Vice President to the building are “believed to have been sponsored by faceless individuals and entities to tarnish the good name and reputation” of Professor Osinbajo.

Restating that the Vice President is not, in any way, connected with the building, the statement pointed out that the “notice has thus become necessary, partly to explain the legal consequences of fabricating falsehood and unsubstantiated negative reports, of and concerning our Client” as well as to make it clear that “in law, liability for libelous publications is not limited to the original author or publisher thereof, but it also extends to and includes all those who, out of sheer ignorance, mischief or malice, or all, cause any libelous publication to be repeated, reposted or re-published, either personally or through any platform for which he/she has control.”

Full text of the statement reads:

All Media Houses, Journalists, Online Publishers, Bloggers, WhatsApp and other Social Media Group Leaders, etc

Dear Sirs/Mas,

LIBELOUS PUBLICATIONS OF AND CONCERNING HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, CONCERNING COLLAPSED IKOYI BUILDING

We are solicitors to His Excellency, the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON (‘our Client’), on whose instruction we write, in respect of the above subject matter. We have the mandate of our Client to draw your esteemed attention to certain publications of and concerning him, in respect of the 21-storey building that recently collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

These publications, believed to have been sponsored by faceless individuals and entities to tarnish the good name and reputation of our Client, claim most spuriously, that our Client is connected with the said building, one way or the other, without any scintilla of proof. For the records, our Client is not involved in, associated or connected with the ownership or development of the collapsed building, in any manner whatsoever.

This notice has thus become necessary, partly to explain the legal consequences of fabricating falsehood and unsubstantiated negative reports, of and concerning our Client. In law, liability for libelous publications is not limited to the original author or publisher thereof, but it also extends to and includes all those who, out of sheer ignorance, mischief or malice, or all, cause any libelous publication to be repeated, reposted or re-published, either personally or through any platform for which he/she has control.

Accordingly, we have the instructions of our Client to compile and preserve the particulars of anyone found to have published, re-published or endorsed or consented to the publication, distribution or circulation of any libelous material, of and concerning him, for the purpose of commencing civil actions in court, in any jurisdiction where such publication occurs.

We therefore implore you not to yield your noble platforms for the dissemination of any libelous publication of and concerning our Client, henceforth.

Yours sincerely,

EBUN-OLU ADEGBORUWA, SAN