The Miyyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has threatened to institute a court action against The Nation newspaper for linking its men to the killing of the Saf Ron Kulere.
The Miyyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria is demanding for apology and retraction of the story and N50 million compensation over what in its view is “defamation”.
The association gave the threat in a letter written by its counsel, Ahmed S. Garba, of A.S Garba & Co Practitioners and Researchers, dated July 29, 2016 and addressed to the Editor of The Nation newspaper and made available to journalists in Jos, Plateau State.
It said the newspaper had published a story titled: “IG orders DIG to find out killers of Plateau monarch,” under which, according to the letter, the story alleged that some gunmen stormed Bokkos, and it was “…discovered (by some youths), that the Fulani community leader (Ardo Yakubu Boro), was conveying arms and ammunition, in a military Hilux van”.
The letter further quoted the story as saying: “They (youths), reported their discovery to security agencies, he was arrested.”
The letter said the Ardo had never masterminded any attack, including the alleged killing of Saf Ron Kulere, and was never arrested over an alleged conveyance of arms and ammunition.
“Our client is always available and has been contributing to peaceful co-existence between his subjects and the entire community of Bokkos including the traditional council,” it said.
The letter stressed that the report had exposed the Ardo to “hatred, contempt and ridicule…” and the reporters also new it was “false when they prepared it, knowingly and negligently (and), never thought to hear from our client’s side of the story”.
The MACBAN issued seven days ultimatum and demaned the sum of N50 million as compensation, a published apology and retractive statements in two national dailies or “we will not hesitate to initiate legal proceedings against your paper for defamation”.