Betta Edu sues BBC for defamation over N30bn claim, demands retraction

The suspended minister of humanitarian affairs, Beta Edu has filed a notice to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for an alleged defamatory report on the  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation against her.

The notice documented in a letter signed on April 9, and seen by Westernpost on Wednesday said the report titled titled: “Betta Edu Probe: Nigerian Recover $24 m in Poverty Minister Investigation-EFCC” with the byline “Nigeria Has Recovered 30bn Naira ($2411; £19m) as Part of an Ongoing Corruption probe Into a Suspended Minister, the Financial Watchdog Says”.

The EFCC had in its latest magazine released on Monday said it recovered 30bn from the humanitarian ministry which she had headed before her suspension in January.

The anti-graft commission also said the aforementioned amount had been already in the coffers of the Federal Government, noting that investigations of such matter takes time to conclude;

The EFCC said, “we started this matter less than six weeks ago.

But Edu, in her suit through her lawyer Ojukwu Chikaosolu and Co. asked the BBC demand that the BBC, forthwith and immediately, pull down their report from its website stating it was an offensive article.

“Furthermore, we demand that the BBC, within 48 hours from the receipt of this correspondence, issue and publish an immediate and unqualified retraction of the aforementioned article and a public apology to our client, for the false and defamatory content published.

“This retraction and apology must be given the same prominence as the initial offensive article.

She explained that the EFCC investigation had neither indicted nor found culpable of any act of financial impropriety in relation to her stewardship of the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry in Nigeria.

She said, “It is also pertinent to emphasize that neither N 30bn nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts nor has any proceeds of crime been traced or recovered from her to warrant the scurrilous article under reference.

“Suffice it to say that in the aftermath of the publication of this scandalous article (which the BBC caused to be disseminated to millions of persons across the globe), our client has been inundated by calls and messages from friends, associates expressing their shock and consternation.

“Our client has suffered immeasurable reputational damage, psychological trauma and anguish as a direct consequence of the publication and dissemination of the article.