An Abuja-based cleric, Prophet Emmanuel Omale on Monday threatened to file a N1 billion libel suit against the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) over a report that he helped the suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Ibrahim Magu acquire a property worth N573 million in Dubai.
NAN had published a report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets (PCARA), which probed assets recovered by the EFCC from May 2015 to May 2020.
In that report, Omale who is the general overseer of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International, Abuja, was said to have been used by Magu to launder funds.
He was reportedly uncovered during an investigation on EFCC’s activities by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
Omale, in his in a pre-litigation letter signed by his lawyer, Mr. Gordy Uche and addressed to NAN said he indeed met Magu in Dubai earlier in the year but it was not for the purpose of purchasing a property.
He said Magu travelled to Dubai for medical reasons and he only prayed with him.
The cleric said the NAN report reeks of calumny, denigration, actuated by malice, calculated to ridicule and disparage him and cast a stain on his reputation, expose him to public hatred and contempt and injure him in his religious calling as the general overseer of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International.
“Our client’s attention has been drawn to the extremely malicious, derogatory and libelous publication with the caption – ‘How Magu used ‘pastor’ to launder re-looted funds abroad – Report” posted on your website – www.nannews.ng on the 11th day of July 2020.
“We, however, wish to make the following clarifications to put the public records straight: That our client is the General Overseer of an Inter-denominational/Multi-religious Prayer Ministry.
“That our client, only visited Mr. Ibrahim Magu in a hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, sometime in March 2020.
“That our client never laundered any funds whatsoever for Mr. Ibrahim Magu or for anybody whatsoever. Our client does not own any foreign bank account anywhere in the world.
“That there are no funds whatsoever traceable from Mr. Ibrahim Magu to our client’s bank accounts whatsoever neither has our client received any funds whatsoever from Mr. Ibrahim Magu. Our client has never received any funds whatsoever from anybody on behalf of Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
“That our client does not own any property in Dubai. His name was never used to purchase any property whatsoever in Dubai, United Arab Emirates or anywhere else in any part of the world, neither has he purchased any property nor properties for Mr. Ibrahim Magu in any part of the world whatsoever.
“That our client does not own any foreign bank account anywhere in the world. That there are no funds whatsoever traceable from Mr. Ibrahim Magu to our client’s bank accounts whatsoever neither has our client received any funds whatsoever from Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
“Our client has never received any funds whatsoever from anybody on behalf of Mr. Ibrahim Magu,” the letter read.
Omale therefore asked NAN to retract the publication which, according to him, had severely injured his reputation, character and calling.
He also asked NAN to restrain from further defamation of his character or a libel suit of N1 billion would be instituted against it.
