By Sabiu Abdullahi
Dr. Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, is threatening legal action against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over what she claims are defamatory statements published on the BBC website.
Edu’s lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, sent a letter to the BBC offices in Abuja and London demanding a retraction and apology for an article titled “Betta Edu Probe: Nigeria Recovers $24m in Poverty Minister Investigation- EFCC.”
The letter accuses the BBC of failing to uphold journalistic standards by not contacting Edu for comment before publishing the article.
It further claims that the article implies Edu is guilty of corruption without allowing for the presumption of innocence.
“The language used in describing our client’s purported involvement in the alleged corruption case suggests guilt,” the letter states. “The reckless manner in which the article was crafted… is a clear breach of journalistic fairness and due process.”
The letter denies the allegations in the BBC article, stating that “neither N30 billion nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts.”
It goes on to detail the emotional distress Edu has allegedly suffered due to the publication.
Edu demands that the BBC immediately remove the article and publish a retraction with an apology within 48 hours.
The letter also threatens legal action if the BBC fails to comply, seeking $50 million in damages.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu suspended Dr. Edu in January 2024 following criticism over a leaked memo directing the transfer of N585 million to a private account.
The ministry maintains this individual was a project accountant for the program.
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