The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has demanded a public retraction and apology from The Punch and DDry Times newspapers over what it described as a false and defamatory report linking its Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, to an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu.
In a tatement issued by the Commission’s Legal Counsel, ADEDIPE AND ADEDIPE Legal Practitioners, and signed by Chief Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), the NDDC said the publications falsely claimed that Dr. Ogbuku was arrested by military intelligence for allegedly co-sponsoring a failed coup plot and for transferring funds from NDDC contracts to finance it.
Adedipe stated that the allegations were “entirely false, malicious, and defamatory,” noting that neither Dr Ogbuku nor the NDDC was contacted for verification before the report was published.
“Dr Ogbuku categorically denies these baseless claims. He has not been arrested, invited, or interrogated by any authority in connection with any alleged coup plot or financial misconduct,” the statement said.
According to the legal notice, the publication caused severe emotional distress, embarrassment, and reputational damage to Dr Ogbuku and his family, as friends and associates have inundated him with calls expressing shock and concern.
Through his lawyers, Dr Ogbuku demanded that The Punch, Daily Times, and their editors: Immediately retract the defamatory publication from all platforms; and publish a written apology in at least four national newspapers and in five consecutive editions of The Punch, including all online and social media outlets.
The letter warned that failure to comply within seven days of receiving the notice would result in both civil and criminal actions against the publications, in line with the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and other applicable laws.
Reaffirming its commitment to the peace and stability of Nigeria and the development of the Niger Delta region, the NDDC urged the public to disregard the “false and mischievous” NDDC Demands Retraction, Apology from Punch, Daily Times over Alleged Coup Rumour
