A social cultural group, Miyetti Allah Kyautal Hore, has threatened to sue to the Benue state governor, Dr Samuel Ortom, over his recent comments against its plan to establish a vigilant group.
The governor had on July 31, 2020, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Terver Akase, said the state would not allow the group to operate a vigilante in its domain.
The statement also quoted the governor as insisting that it was another ploy by the group to elevate its inhuman activities in the country.
But counsel to the group, W.Y. Mamman, in a letter dated August 5, 2020, and addressed to Ortom, said his statement connoted that Miyetti Allah Kyautal Hore group was responsible for the banditry and killings of innocent Nigerians.
The group said Ortom’s statement is derogatory and capable of inciting Nigerians against its members and asked the governor to retract it with public apology in three national dailies to avoid being dragged to court.
The letter read: “We have gone through your statements in three national dailies and found same highly derogatory and maligning of our client and same is capable of inciting other ignorant Nigerians against our client whose goal is mainly aimed at peaceful co-existence among its group and other members of the society at large.”
“Making such an inciting, false and negative statement against our client without any proof is highly unacceptable as our client has completely denied being associated with any form of banditry and killing going on in the country and has instructed us to demand and we hereby demand your retraction of all the statements on the national dallies with a public apology on the same newspapers.
“The apology should be published in a conspicuous part, especially the front pages thereof within seven days of your receipt of this letter and failure to do so, we will have no any other option but to activate the legal machinery of the law against you and Benue state.’’
