A sales representative operating in Càlabar, the Cross River State capital with Drugfield Pharmaceuticals Limited, Prince Fajulugbe Temitayo, has dragged officials of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to court over defamation of character.
The claimant, Fajulugbe Temitayo, instituted the case through his counsel, E.E. Osim of the Advocate Chambers Calabar, who expressed displeasure over tarnishing the reputation that he spent several decades to build.
Temitayo, who is also a scholar with three master’s degrees in various fields of human endeavors, has vowed to claim N500m, stressing that the damage to his reputation has caused irreparable harm to his reputation and career.
In suit number HC/305/2024 sighted by LEADERSHIP, the claimant averred that the controversy stems from an October 1, 2023, publication by the NDLEA, branding him a ” a drug peddler”.
The claimant averred that the agency associated his name and picture with illicit drug activities under the headline “Wanted Kingpin, Chadian, Grandpa Arrested Over London-Bound Shipment, 4 Tones of Drugs.”
He stressed that the allegations led to pages of newspapers being awash and circulated with false information that brought his reputation to shame.
He alleged that the NDLEA’s baseless and false allegations have since been disproven, stressing that the medical supplies in question were legitimate pharmaceutical products destined for Bez Pharmacy Limited.
The claimant maintained that the distributor in question was under contractual obligations to make supply to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital ( UCTH).
He stressed that despite the legitimate nature of the goods, which was confirmed by the parties involved, the NDLEA failed to issue a public correction or apology, thereby allowing the defamatory content to remain unaddressed.
He demanded an apology and retraction of the offensive words published by the defendant in the same and similar petition.
An order of the court requiring the defendant to retract the defamatory statement on their official website, Facebook page, and in two national dailies.
