Nasarawa Poly: Rector Takes Journalist to Court Over Defamation, Seeks N100m in Damages

The Nasarawa State Correspondent of Universal Reporters, Rabiu Omaku, has been sued by Dr. Justina Anjiode Kotso, the Rector of Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia, for allegedly writing false articles about her and the college.

In a report titled Rector IMAPOLY (Formerly Nasarawa State Polytechnic) In The Eyes Of The Storm As Allowances Of SIWES Students Disappeared Into Thin Air, among other allegations against her in the report, Omaku had on September 18, 2023, accused the Rector of embezzling funds intended for graduates of the polytechnic who took part in the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme.

Dr. Kotso claimed in a Friday interview with newsmen in Lafia that the report had seriously damaged her reputation and raised doubts about her integrity among many state residents.

She claimed that this prompted her to bring the situation to the attention of her attorneys.

I delivered a letter to Rabiu Omaku. Dikko Chambers, which our correspondent was able to obtain, revealed that in addition to the N100 million in damages, the rector is also demanding that the allegedly defamatory report be taken down from the Universal Reporters website and that a retraction of the report be made within seven days of the notice.

 “We are Counsel to Dr. Justina Anjiode Kotso, the Rector, Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia, Nasarawa State, formerly called Nasarawa State Polytechnic, hereinafter referred to as our client, and on whose firm instructions and on behalf, we write this final demand/retraction notice which we do hope shall receive the urgency it desires.

 “Our client informed us and we have seen documentary evidence to the effect that on the 18th day of September, 2023, you published a defamatory article via Universal Reporters, an online news and media outlet website.

“We wish to state without mincing words that our client is an administrator and academia per excellence who has benefitted immensely from the education sector of the country.

“And she has no intention whatsoever of sabotaging the system which she has carved a niche for herself, and has gained for herself national and international recognitions.

“We demand that you immediately publish a retraction and apologize to our client on the website of Universal Reporters, and circulate same widely across social media platforms.

“We demand that you cause a publication of apology/retraction in at least, two national dailies and one local newspaper in Lafia, Nasarawa State without delay. We also demand that you pay the sum of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) only to our client as compensation.

“Failure to meet our client’s simple demands within seven days, we shall have no option but to commence both criminal and civil actions against you in competent courts of law,” the letter read in part.