A former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has being on the head news since his public offensive approach to a question directed towards him by a dailytrust reporter’Eyo Charles’, during a press conference in Calabar, Cross River State.

The journalist had asked him if he was being bankrolled by any politician or political group – a question that attracted verbal assault from the ex-minister.

Meanwhile, after a heavy backlash and boycotts of his press conferences by journalists in different states he visited, Mr Fani-Kayode withdrew his words and apologised for his ‘unwise’ action.

Few days later, in an opinion approach, another writer with the same daily trust ‘Iliyasu Gadu’ served another article titled, ‘FFK, The Drug Addled Thug In Designer Wears’.

Suddenly FFK who takes it as licence to hurl volleys of invectives at just about anyone in Nigerian public life had his thin skin exposed. Like a boxer with a glassy jaw, which the gentlest of jabs was all that was needed to shatter his thinly covered veneer of respectability was ruthlessly exposed,” Mr Gadu wrote.

In the concluding paragraphs, the writer opined that with “his latest oafish behaviour, it is about time FFK met his comeuppance. His verbal assault at the reporter should be seen as an attack at the very profession that provides him with the necessary oxygen and limelight to remain relevant in the Nigerian public space.

If he did to a lawyer in the legal profession he belongs to the journalist in Calabar he would have faced immediate sanctions. (Ask Governor El Rufai).

”Suffice it to say he is not even reckoned with in the legal profession. Even the so-called “charge and bail’’ lawyers one sees often hanging around courtrooms are likely to have better records of achievement in the profession than him.”

In two separate letters dated August 30, Mr Fani-Kayode described the article as a spurious publication aimed at denigrating his person.

The letters, signed by his lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, were issued to the Managing Director of Media Trust Limited and Mr Gadu.

Mr Adedipe insisted that the article painted his client as a man of low esteem without dignity or reputation; that he is a pariah and disgrace to his state of origin.

“That he lacks character training in the best traditions of an English man and therefore unfit to be an alumnus of the prestigious Cambridge University and University of London; he is not fit to have been called to the Nigerian Bar, as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“That he is not only a bad ambassador of the Peoples Democratic Party, but is also not worthy to hold any political office; g he is an endangered species, which should be avoided by all and sundry, particularly journalists.

“Without mincing words, you have disparaged our Client by your remarks, in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society: and these remarks have been found to be false and slanderous of him.”

According to the letter, Mr Fani-Kayode has not only suffered an immeasurable loss of goodwill, but he is currently confronted with unbearable opprobrium by his fans, followers and colleagues across the globe.

Within 14 days, Media Trust Limited, the publisher and Mr Gadu are expected to respond to the demand for a retraction, apology on two national dailies and the sum of six billion naira as compensation,
The lawyer said the failure of Media Trust Limited, the publisher and Mr Gadu to publish the retraction and apology will ”leave our Client with no preferred alternative than to seek redress in Court.

This redress shall also include a claim that you are unfit to function as a journalist because your defamatory and slanderous remarks were borne out of an inept appreciation of basic codes of journalism.”

As at today,(3days after the threat), the article is still available. (See below)

No apology has been made yet and the article’s still plugged. This simply insinuates that something big is about to take place.

“There is a probable reason to suspect the allegations could be true, Farooq Kperogi wrote

“Sahara Reporters’ Dr. Damages even asked him a few years ago if he was a drug addict and he denied it;

“In a Twitter spat, one Ogundamisi called FFK a drug addict who was confined to a mental institution. He didn’t sue him, he added.

Below are screenshots of some opinions on the issue: