CENTUS NWEZE REPORTING
Fafoluyi Olayinka Michael, Special Assistant, New Media to Kwara state governor, Abdulrahaman Abdulrazak, took interpretative journalism too far apparently after former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, over statement credited to him where he over embellished a police report to slander Saraki.
Saraki has alleged false, malicious and inciting information Michael.
Also copied in the petition signed by the Special Assistant Security Matters to the former Senate President Taju Alabi are the DG Department of State Services Abuja and the Director of the Ilorin Office.
Fafoluyi, according to the petition, posted on his Facebook page on January 29th 2023 that the police arrested ‘a Saraki assassin at an APC rally in Ilorin’.
“In the said publication, Fafoluyi, claimed that “Police overpowers Saraki’s assassin, Ojulari on the attempt (sic) to kill All Progressives Congress candidate for Ilorin West/Asa federal constituency, Muktar Shagaya at APC rally in Ilorin”.
Saraki,in the petition, said: “this publication is not only false, malicious, and destructive, it is a deliberate attempt to malign the person of the former number three man in the country, expose him and his family to ridicule, and needlessly incite public hatred against his person and his family.
“This false information is criminal defamation that is capable of provoking the numerous supporters of Dr. Saraki in Kwara State, in particular, and Nigeria as a whole,” it stated.
“To worsen the matter and expose the evil intention of Fafoluyi, Muktar Shagaya who he claimed to be the subject of a so-called attack has in another publication on the same FaceBook denied the false claims by Fafoluyi.
“What this means is that Fafoluyi simply fabricated the falsehood that he published,” it added.
Saraki noted that the publication under reference is not the first attempt by Fafoluyi and his cohorts to defame him on radio, television, newspapers, and all social media platforms.
The petion further asked that the police invite Mr. Fafoluyi to prove this grave allegation while the matter is taken before the court as a case of criminal defamation.