ValueJet Threatens N1bn Suit Against Media House Over False, Damaging…
Idowu Sofola and Co., solicitors to ValueJet, has concluded plans to file N1 billion suit against a media organisation, BusinessDay over what it described as a “malicious report,” which named the airline as one of the blacklisted carriers in Nigeria.
The report had alleged that ValueJet and 12 other indigenous carriers were blacklisted by international aircraft lessors for various contract breaches.
According to the law firm, the report published on July 17, 2024 with the headline: ‘13 Nigerian airlines blacklisted for contract breaches,” was false and untrue with no justifiable ground for the publication, which it said had drastically affected the business of its clients.
Other airlines listed in the report were Aero, Air Peace, Azman, Dana, Green Africa, Ibom Air, Max Air, NG Eagle, Overland, Rano Oil, and United Nigeria Airlines.
A petition by A.T. Oloyede, the Head of Idowu Sofola Chambers, stated that the article portrayed its client as being unable to meet its financial and contractual obligations and unreliable to do business with by local and international corporations.
He also stated that the false publication had caused severe loss on the part of its client with the carrier’s board of directors overwhelmed with several phone calls by customers who he emphasised were already panicking and threatening to withdraw their patronage and investments with their clients as a result of the publication.
The firm demanded the removal of the false publication and any other false news against ValueJet on any of its news platforms with immediate effect.
It also demanded a three-day consecutive news publication by BusinessDay and further sought an intense apology to that effect.
It also asked for a retraction of the said false publication in three other widely read newspapers in Nigeria and claimed damage in the sum one N1 billion for libel committed by the news media.
