Adeyemi Adebanjo
HUMAN rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Mr Femi Falana has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to advise the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun to sue for libel in the wake of allegation of fund diversion levelled against him by the Chairman of Ijebu-East Local Government Area, Mr Wale Adedayo rather than use the secret police to harass him.
Eighteen-Eleven Media recalls that Mr Adedayo had last week accused Prince Abiodun of diverting the statutory allocations of the 20 local governments in the state. Thereafter, he was not only suspended from office, but he also received an invitation from the secret police. However, when he turned up for the invitation on 1st September 2023, he was asked to respond to a petition submitted to the Command by the state government.
In the said petition, it was alleged that Mr. Adedayo had instigated widespread acts of public disturbance and chaos in Ijebu-East Local Government. Even though the embattled council boss denied the allegation of instigating acts of public disturbance, the DSS officials decided to detain him due to his refusal to withdraw the allegation levelled against Prince Abiodun
However, Mr. Falana, in a terse statement, said even though the Ogun State government has denied the allegation of funds diversion, he advised to sue Mr. Adedayo for libel in the Ogun State High Court.
“In similar circumstances, two of his predecessors, the late Governor Olabisi Onabanjo had sued the National Concord newspaper for libel in the Ogun State High Court in 1981 while Governor Segun Osoba sued the Punch Newspaper for defamation of character in the Ogun State High Court in 2001. Both governors won the libel suits.
“Having regards to the facts and circumstances of this particular case, I am compelled to request the Ogun State Command of the SSS to release Mr. Adedayo from custody forthwith“, Mr. Falana stated.
Eighteen-Eleven Media