Vanguard in trouble over fake story on Osinbajo

Vanguard Newspaper has been accused of publishing fake story on Vice
President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
The newspaper was said to have alleged that the vice president
mismanaged 90 billion naira released by the Federal Inland Revenue
Inland Service (FIRS) to prosecute the last general elections in
favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A letter signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana,
solicitor to the vice president asked the newspaper to tender apology
to Osinbajo or face legal action.
The letter reads:”Our client’s attention has been drawn to your highly
libelous story entitled “N90 bn FIRS election fund, Osinbanjo’s
problem, not 2023 politics-Frank” recklessly published in the Vanguard
newspaper edition of September 23, 2019.
“In the story credited to one Comrade Timi Frank, your newspaper
informed your large readership that our client’s travail “has nothing
to  do with 2023 but alleged mismanagement of about N90 Billion Naira
(sic) released by the Federal Inland Revenue Inland Service (FIRS) to
prosecute the last general elections in favour of the APC”.
“The false contextual background and specific untrue and defamatory
statement include the following:”The presidency discovered how
Osinbajo allegedly mismanaged N90billion from the Federal Inland
Revenue Service (FIRS).
When confronted by the presidency, he confirmed to General Buhari that
he indeed allegedly took N90billion from FIRS but it was used for the
2019 presidential election campaign in strategic states of the
South-west.
Gen Buhari asked for a breakdown of how the money was spent and he
said he gave N11 billion to Lagos state APC leader but when the said
national leader and one former APC chairman were invited for an
explanation, it was confirmed that Osinbajo gave only N5billion and
not N11billion to Lagos state.
‘The cabal is asking to know how come they beat PDP in the South-west
with less than 60,000 votes if the money was actually spent in the
strategic states of the South-west as allegedly claimed.’
The activist insisted that if the information is true, Osinbajo must
resign his position as Vice President, adding that such is akin to the
characteristics of ‘yahoo boys.”
It is clear that the entire publication was a vicious, wicked and
reckless ploy to impugn the reputation of our client and lower him in
the estimation of right thinking members of the public. Without any
scintilla of evidence you deliberately gave the dubious impression
that our client colluded with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to
divert public funds to the tune of N90 billion to prosecute the 2019
general elections in the South west region.
“In view of the foregoing we have our client’s firm instructions to
request for the immediate retraction of the offensive and derogatory
publication coupled with apology prominently published in your
newspaper.
“Take notice that if we do not receive your formal retraction and
apology within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter, we shall
proceed with our client’s instructions to seek legal remedies
including aggravated damages in the appropriate High Court.”