APC Rep, Kuye Threatens Legal Action Against Rights Activist, Comrade Buna Over Statement on Recent Somolu Killings | Rights Monitor

1. The member of House of Representatives representing Somolu Constituency, Hon. Ademorin Kuye has threatened a Somolu based rights activist Comrade Buna Isiak Olaitan, Executive Director of Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA) to retract a recent statement published regarding the recent killing in Somolu within forty-eight hours (48 hrs) or face criminal charges

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This was contained in a letter written by Kuye’s lawyer from a law firm Ayoola Julius & Co (Iyanu Chambers) on Friday 21st September 2021, which was initially sent to Comrade Buna online via WhatsApp and subsequently brought in hardcopy to the central office of HURMA in Somolu on Friday 24th September 2021.

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HURMA Executive Director, Comrade Buna had made a statement which was published online by Rights Monitor News where he condemned recent killings of one Sulaimon Olumegbon by armed robbers in Somolu community and described the unfortunate incident as a result of what he described as failure on the part of the government. The heading of the publication reads: “Recent Somolu Killings: “Hold Dullar, Olowo and Kuye Responsible, Not Police”
Comrade Buna explained in his statement that “lack of adequate security has just resulted to the killing of this promising Nigerian. “This unfortunate event is due to the failure of the government.

“Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended is based mainly on Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy. This in Section 14 subsection 2(b) says that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.
He stated further:
“If the security of the people is no longer guaranteed in any community, then the people who claim to be representing the community will automatically be seen as failures in their primary responsibility”.

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Comrade Buna maintained in the publication that blame should be directed at the three major elected representatives in Somolu who he described as political heavyweights of Somolu local government, which include the Chairman of Somolu Local Government, Honourable Abdul Hamed Salawu (Dullar); Lagos State House of Assembly member for Somolu Constituency 1, Hon. Rotimi Olowo Emmanuel; and also the Federal House of Representative member for Somolu constituency, Hon. Ademorin Kuye. He maintained that the bad boys are not ghost and could only operate freely within the community due to the failure of the political leaders to unite and provide needed facilities for the general good of all.

In response to this publication, a letter came from the chambers of Ayoola Julius & Co. (Iyanu Chambers) threatening to take criminal charges action against the human rights activist for including Kuye’s name among those to blame for the said insecurity. The letter reads in parts ”

“Our Client finds the publication most untrue and which publication is not different of what the Court made of defamation in SKETCH vs AJAGBOMOKEFERI as ‘a statement if which published of and concerning a person is calculated to lower him in the estimation of right thinking men or cause him to be shunned and avoided or to expose him to hatred, contempt, or ridicule or to convey an imputation on him disparaging or injurious to him in his office, profession, trade, or business.”

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“It is our candid opinion that the publication from the outset was designed to humiliate and destroy the public perception of Our Client.”

“IT IS THEREFORE OUR INSTRUCTION that you retract the said publication within the next 48 hours and tender an unreserved apology using the same media employed in circulating the disparaging publication”

“TAKE NOTICE that if a retraction is not published as advised, we are obliged to take further steps not especially when defamation is also a criminal offence.”

HURMA Executive Director, Buna Isiak has so far maintained that nothing libellous was in the publication, more so, every message was intended to simply ensure the progress of the society for the general good of all.

Emmanuel Atetiba reporting for Rights Monitors News