Major General Letam W. Wiwa, the younger brother of the late Ogoni rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, has denied allegations contained in reports published in The Sun Newspaper and The Vanguard newspaper on Monday, February 15, 2016 that he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of investigations into the alleged arms deal involving the office of the National Security Officer during the tenure of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd).
General Wiwa, in a letter by his counsel, Joseph Nwobike, SAN, is demanding a retraction of the reports and an ”unqualified apology” within two days, and ”payment of the sum of two billion naira for damages” for publishing the “malicious, libelous” reports.
Wiwa accuses the newspapers of authoring the reports “with the sole intention to discredit, disparage, impugn and destroy the distinguished military career, integrity, image, credibility, reputation and standing in the society, for the sole commercial benefit of your company.”
The letters from Nwobike to the two media outfits, dated Monday, February 15, 2016 read: ”Our client has informed us that he was never invited, arrested or detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) and/or taken to their Abuja office for further investigations as alleged in your publication under reference.”
Wiwa’s lawyers protested that the papers represented him as a fraudulent military officer involved in he misappropriation of funds meant for the purchase of military hardware; a person and military officer unfit to be trusted with public funds and a reckless person.
