A Deputy Governor of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Tunde Lemo, has written an open letter through his lawyer, Zest Partners, addressed to Elombah Communications, the Publisher of News Band Newspaper, demanding a retraction over a report written on November 21, 2023, with the headline: “Emefiele refunds N4tr, Lemo $500m, $275m & N1.5tr found with Buhari’s PA“.
According to the report, former CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, reportedly refunded a whopping N4 trillion to the coffers of the Federal Government stolen while he was the at the helm of affairs of the apex bank and also allegedly gave up ownership of six banks linked to him.
It also added that a former CBN Deputy Governor, Tunde Lemo, reportedly refunded $500 million embezzled taxpayers’ money.
The report noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had acquired the services of a Special Investigator, Jim Osayande Obazee, who has reportedly unearthed some shady deals in the apex bank.
Reacting to the report, Mr. Lemo wrote the open letter to News Band, through lis lawyers, Zest Partners, signed by Obienu Chinedu Esq. and dated November 22, 2023, seeking for a retraction of the report.
The letter reads in full:
“Sir/Madam,
RE: Emefiele refunds N4tr, Lemo $500m, $275m & N1.5tr found with Buhari’s PA
Demand for Retraction
The above subject matter refers: We are a firm of Legal Practitioners retained by Tunde Lemo who is herein referred to as our Client and on whose express instructions we write as follows:
2. Our Client’s attention has been drawn to the publication made by NEWS.BAND an online Newspaper owned by Elombah Communications on the 21st Day of November 2023 with the above referenced as caption.
3. It is our Client’s express instruction that he did not at any time take any $500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Dollars) from the coffer of Nigerian Government warranting any refund.
4. That he did not refund $500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Dollars) or any amount to the Federal Government of Nigeria either through the Special Investigator of the Federal Government or any agent of the government or any person by whatsoever name called.
5. That the information so published by your newspaper as it relates to our Client is false and untrue.
6. Our Client finds the Statement defamatory and sees it as a direct attack on his personality to malign him in the eyes of well-meaning Nigerians and his friends outside Nigeria.
6. Our client herein DEMANDS that you retract the said statement making the rounds as it relates to our client within the next 24hours.
It is our hope that you will heed and accede to our demands and retract the statement through the same medium it was published within the timeframe given. HOWEVER should wisdom fail to prevail and you fail-to so comply, we will proceed to perfect our Clients instructions.”
Elombah Communications, however, is yet to receive an official copy of the letter which was purportedly meant for the Publisher of News Band Newspaper as it is yet to be served. Read more.
Read also:
Emefiele refunds N4tr, Lemo $500m, $275m & N1.5tr found with Buhari’s PA
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