Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie in trouble as she steps on Atiku’s toes

Aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie, may have got herself into trouble for allegedly spreading lies against the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar.

This is especially as Atiku has asked Onochie to pay him N500 million accompanied with a written apology for “spreading lies” that the PDP candidate said, is “capable of damaging,” his reputation.

Onochie, who is Buhari’s aide on social media, was said to have committed the alleged offence in a tweet on her Twitter handle where she wrote, ‘Atiku on UAE watch list- Security Sources.’

But Atiku, who got offended by the tweet, made his demand in a letter signed by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and addressed to Onochie.

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“We have our client’s instructions to demand and we hereby demand from you the following: That you publish and tender a written retraction and apology for the said libellous publication in six national dailies circulating in Nigeria and one international daily as well as on all social media platforms wherein the said publication was made.

“That you pay to our client through the firm, the sum of N500,000,000 only, representing minimal damages to assuage his already battered image wholly caused by your said defamatory publication.

“Take notice that if you fail or refuse to accede to our modest demands within the next 48 hours from the date of this letter, we shall be compelled to activate the full weight of the legal machinery against you without any further recourse to you.

“We shall be, in such a suit, claiming against you the sum of N2 billion, representing exemplary aggravated and punitive damages,” the letter read in part.

Onochie is one of the aides to President Buhari that had ensured critics of the President never escaped without attacks, sometimes abusive, for daring to criticise Buhari.

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