Mrs. Brenda Ataga, wife of the murdered Super TV CEO, Mr. Usifo Ataga has demanded for the sum of N1billion and public apology from the management of Naijaloaded Blog over the publication of a report said to be ‘libelous and malicious’ aimed at soiling her reputation.
Brenda, who demanded this through her legal counsel, Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan (SAN) also asked the news outlet to tender a public apology and also retract the said report alongside other popular news outlet who published the report, not in The New Diplomat.
This was contained in a letter dated June 28 and addressed to the Managing Director (MD) of the online medium, Mr. Makinde Azeez.
Ataga was recently found dead in the pool of his own blood at a short service apartment at Lekki Phase 1, Lagos state shortly after his family had declared him missing.
Following investigations made by the Lagos State Police Command, a 21-year-old undergraduate of the University of Lagos, (UNILAG), Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu was paraded in connection with the murder of the Super TV CEO.
Chidinma during her confession stated that she stabbed the deceased twice in the neck.
She stated that they were both lodged in a service apartment in the Lekki Area of Lagos on June 15, 2021 when the incident happened. According to Chidinma’s side of the story, she and Ataga were in the lodge smoking and drinking before the incident.
However, Naijaloaded in its report published on June 26, accused Brenda of being complicit in the murder of her husband in connivance with one Mr. Izu.
The report claimed Izu was Brenda’s boyfriend. The report also alleged that the wife of the Super TV CEO connived with the said boyfriend to murder Ataga.
Meanwhile, Brenda’s lawyer, Uwensuyi-Edosomwan (SAN) has reacted to refute the report, describing it as a callous, malicious and mindless attack on the personality of his client.
The letter by Brenda’s lawyer, which described the report as false, also said it labelled Mrs. Ataga who is a wife, mother and highly placed official of the Nigerian government as a loose woman and a flirt, engaged in an extra-marital affairs with another Mr. Izu.
The letter demanded that the story be immediately pulled down from the website of Naijaloaded online, while calling for a complete retraction of the damaging story, to be carried first by the online platform, news blogs and other online news outlets.
The letter read in part: “A properly worded unreserved apology for the libel published in your news blog, two national television stations including Channels Television Network and three National newspapers including The Punch newspaper.
“That you pay the sum of N1, 000, 000, 000 (One Billion Naira) through our office to our client as pecuniary compensation for your reckless and mindless injury to her vide the published defamatory materials aforesaid.
“If at the end of 14 days from the date of this letter, any of the listed demands still stands unfulfilled, we would proceed on our full instructions to initiate steps to bring the full consequences of your recklessness in the aforementioned publications to you.
“In that case, all costs, fees and charges necessary for our client to redeem her image and recover her damaged character and credit would be on your account.”
