A popular business man in Ogun state, Ibrahim Egungboun, has petitioned the Inspector General of police over alleged reputation damage by a popular Nigerian journalist, Fisayo Soyombo.
The businessman popularly known as Dende disagrees with an investigation by Mr Soyombo with titled “Undercover as a smuggler,” a report indicting Mr Egungboun tagging him as a “ gun runner who was recently arrested by the Security Agents but bribed his way out.”
This report was published on both Mr Soyombo’s medium, Foundation for Investigative Journalism,Fij, as well as on The Cables on 21st February, 2024. It was, however , discussed on Arise television.
In the petition at the instance of Dende by his lawyer, D.O Folalu, a principal Counsel at Lawfix Chambers, a copy of which was obtained by DAILY POST on Sunday, the accused claimed that the totality of the report was an attempt to malign him,” with calculated view to achieve damaging effects against our client in his businesses within and outside Nigeria.”
It will be recalled that, the journalist, Fisayo in his report quoted an unknown person’s name, Jide to have said, “Dende used to import Turkey, but he subsequently smuggled guns and his cover was blown; this was around August 2022.”
In the same report, Fisayo further quoted the said Jide to have further told him that, “Dende’s 2018 arrest was indeed for gun-running. A licensed clearing and forwarding agent, Dende also smuggled cars, his patronage transcending the political class. As he entrenched his interests in the shady trade through the years, he started to build a legion of foot soldiers to perfect the dirty work on his behalf. Some of those boys whom Jide knew personally were bringing in high-value automobiles stashed with arms and ammunition on Dende’s behalf when they were apprehended in 2018.”
But in his letter to the Inspector General of police, Dende said he was ready to submit himself for thorough investigation into the claims, appealing to the police boss not to allow his alleged slanderer go freely without a thorough fact finding about the claims.
Dende noted that, The allegations in the report were designed to cause “ inconvenience, danger, criminal Intimidation, enemity, hatred and needles anxiety,” against him, an act contrary to section 24 of the cybercrimes (prohibition, prevention) Act, 2015.
The petition further reads, “For the record, our client is a Customs Licensed Agent with his business ventures cutting across Hospitality, Agriculture, Quarry, Freight forwarding and transportation.
“In the light of foregoing, we hereby request your office to cause the publications to be investigated with utmost urgency and seriousness, as they have implication not for the person of our client only but for the security architecture of our dear Country.”
Efforts to get Mr Soyombo’s response were not successful. This reporter called Mr Soyombo on his cell phone, it rang at first but further calls were not connected.
This reporter also sent a text message as well as a ‘request for response’ to the FIJ mail but all to no avail.
