The former National Coordinator of the Nigerian Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Hajia Halima Shehu, has refuted claims made in a media report that she embezzled N44.8 billion and that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered N39.8 billion from her.
Shehu described the report published in a national newspaper as “deliberate falsehood, malicious, and defamatory.”
She is demanding an immediate retraction of the news report and a public apology from the media outlet that published the said story within a week.
Her statements were contained in a letter co-signed by her attorneys, Seun Awolade and Ojonugwa Ogwuche, respectively.
“On January 7, 2024, your newspaper published a front-page article titled: EFCC recovers N39.8bn from ex-NSIPA Coordinator, written by Chioma Onuh.
“The report falsely and maliciously claimed that our client embezzled N44.8 billion belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria and that the EFCC recovered N39.8 billion from her. This publication is a serious and intentional falsehood.
“Our client has never been investigated, charged, or found guilty of any financial misconduct by the EFCC or any other law enforcement agency,” the lawyers stated.
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The lawyers denied the media report that their client allegedly transferred the funds to some individual accounts and companies through some commercial banks without any necessary approvals.
“We state unequivocally that the publication is wholly defamatory, calculated to damage our client’s hard-earned reputation, destroy public
trust in her professional integrity, and subject her to public ridicule, odium, and contempt.
“The publication offends every known principle of responsible journalism, particularly the duty to verify facts before publication,” the statement said.
They therefore demanded an immediate retraction of the publication in the newspaper and on all its online platforms.
Also, the lawyers demanded a public apology to be published with equal prominence as the offending story in the Business Day Newspaper and the newspaper’s official website.
Equally, the lawyers demanded an indemnity for the damage caused to the reputation, character, and integrity of their client.
They added that if the demands were not met within seven days of receiving the letter, they would proceed to institute legal action against the newspaper, the publisher, and the reporter.
