Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has demanded a retraction, an apology and five billion naira as compensation from the publishers of New Telegraph Newspaper over defamatory publication.

The Governor through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, alleged that the online edition of the New Telegraph Newspaper on Monday, December 11th, 2023, published a story with the caption ” 2027: Alia Joins Forces With Rotiml Amaechi… Donates Lexus Lx 600 SUV To Former Transport Minister”.

According to Mr Kula, the Hon Attorney General and Commissioner, Ministry of Justice and Public Order, Benue State, Mr FB Mnyim, in a correspondence to the Publishers of the newspaper, described the said publication as false and fabricated, stating that it was done to demean the character of the governor.

He added that the defamatory story has made the governor to appear as someone who is insensitive to the plight of the Benue people and party men who supported and voted him into office as the Governor of Benue State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“The publication made available online portrayed our client as unprofessional, unprincipled, unethical and dishonorable, unreasonable and prejudicial public Officer who is insensitive, indifferent and apathetic to the plight of the Benue people and party men who supported and voted him into office as the Governor of Benue State.

The said publication was with a clear intent and motive to vilify, malign, denigrate, disgrace and defame our client and portray him in bad light in the eyes of reasonable member of the public, especially to incite the Benue people, members of the APC, and the general public against our client”.

Continuing, the Chief Press Secretary, noted that the publication was made in an invidious, unpleasant, insidious, sinister and treacherous manner and that it has inflicted and caused grievous pains, shock, embarrassment and dehumanization of their client.

Mr Kula, who quoted Mr Anyim, as positing that the publication was done in total disregard to the Code of Ethics of Nigerian Journalism practice, called for the withdrawal of the publication, accompanied by a clear and unqualified apology published in the newspaper within the next 24 hours as well as N5 billion as compensation.