Our
attention has been drawn to mischievous and misleading pictures and stories in
the Punch newspapers, claiming that our client, Chief Olisah Metuh, was in the
Federal High Court Abuja on Monday, March 7, 2016 “to show support” for the
former Chief of Defence Staff, retired Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh. This is
false, mischievous and contrived to mislead the public and undermine the
reputation of our client.
Let us
state, for the record, that Chief Metuh was in court on the day in question,
being the adjourned date for the civil suit he filed against his unlawful
detention by the EFCC. It was purely coincidental that the former CDS was also
being arraigned in the same courtroom on that day. This explains our client's
presence in the same courtroom with the former CDS.
Our client
was in court with his lawyers and his case was heard in the open court, as
witnessed by the public and journalists, including the Punch reporter and photo-journalist,
wherein Justice Abang deferred the judgment to Wednesday March 9, 2016.
It is
therefore baffling and disappointing that the Punch correspondent, being fully
aware of the foregoing facts, went beyond his brief and the ethics of his
profession to invent and publish distortions against our client. We are
persuaded that this is a deliberate delivery by a procured agent, designed to
cause harm to our client and misrepresent him in the minds of the public.
We invite
Nigerians to recall, consistent with a pattern of fabrications against our
client, that the EFCC later recanted its earlier false claim that Chief Metuh
ate his written statement at the EFCC office. We also invite Nigerians to note
the mischief directed at the person of Chief Metuh, using a section of the
media, in the bid to paint him in bad light and possibly derail the course of
justice. But this is in vain, as the matter is before a court of competent
jurisdiction.
Finally,
we urge the media to please end the unnecessary sensationalization of issues and
ensure that facts are cross-checked before publication.
Signed:
Barr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN)
Counsel to Chief Olisa Metuh
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