Even in Death, Sen Abiola Ajimobi Remains Victor As Daughter, “Ajibola Ajayi” Gets Justice over Linda Ikeji’s “Defamatory Publication”, Allegedly Copied by Sahara Reporters, to Disparage Late Governor

Even in Death, Sen Abiola Ajimobi Remains Victor As Daughter, “Ajibola Ajayi” Gets Justice over Linda Ikeji’s “Defamatory Publication”, Allegedly Copied by Sahara Reporters, to Disparage Late Governor.

Even in Death, late former Governor of Oyo-State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi remains an invincible victor, over his slandering traducers, as his Daughter,”Ajibola Ajayi” got justice over “Defamatory Publication” circulated by Linda Ikeji’s blog, and which was also allegedly copied by Sahara Reporters, to disparage the late governor, after his intellectual engagement with the then protesting students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology(LAUTECH), in 2017.

Counsel to “Ajibola Ajayi” could not hide his joy as he, enthusiastically, took to one of his verified social media handles and posted as follows;”Olaniwunajayi Olaniwun Ajayi LP is happy to have successfully represented Mrs. Ajibola Ajayi, the Claimant in Suit No. FCT/CVJ667/2018: Mrs Ajibola Ajayi v. Linda Ikeji in an action filed at the High Court of the
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In the action, the Claimant had sued Ms. Linda Ikeji in respect of the defamatory article published in the latter’s blog, on 15.01.17 and 17.01.17 which cited Mrs. Ajibola Ajayi as having described protesting students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, as a “generation of mannerless children” in
an Instagram post with the username “conceited_csj” In the judgment delivered on 12.04.2022, the Court held that the publication by Ms. Ikeji was false and malicious and that the evidence before the Court showed that the Defendant knew that the Instagram account with the username “conceited csj” did not belong to the Claimant. The Court further held that the
publication was made available to readers worldwide which exposed the Claimant to ridicule by members of the public who read the offending article.
In reiterating the trite principle of law that libel is
actionable per se, the Court awarded general and exemplary damages in the sum of N25,000,000.00 (Twenty-Five Million Naira) against Ms. Linda lkeji and
directed Ms. Ikeji to publish a written apology to the Claimant in three National tabloids.
The Claimant was represented in the action by our Ogunmuyiwa Balogun; and it is our belief that with judgements like this, media outfits and members of the public will verify sources of their information ahead of publication.

Meanwhile, a front line Strategic Communicator, based in Ibadan, Capital of Oyo-State, Mr Raji Draj had earlier posted an objective piece written by Hon. Yomi Layinka to counter the defamatory publication, allegedly copied by Sahara Reporters, on his verified Facebook platform, in 2017, as follows;”Sahara Reporters Commits Another Again! It will appear that this online medium (SR) has found in Governor Abiola Ajimobi an opportunity for this season’s feasting frenzy. Like a carrion fly, Sahara Reporters seems quite excited returning to the putrid smell of its invented carcass every now and again in order to survive.

Before we went to bed on Friday night, the gadfly posted with fanfare what amounted to a carefully doctored and one-sided video through which it hoped to disparage and unfairly characterize the Oyo State Governor as an intemperate and haughty person. Well, it succeeded in ramping up the intemperate world of the Internet until a fuller and more robust version of his encounter with LAUTECH students surfaced. In the latter version, viewers were able to understand the drama, its context and the eventually amicable resolution. And so predictably, the bubble of the sensationalism was busted.

While it was content in spreading that wild fire without the most elementary respect for objectivity, it still persisted in denying the Other Side a chance to tell its side of the story. As we speak, SR has neither acknowledged the existence of this alternative video let alone broadcast it as it joyously and furiously did its own pernicious version. Well, so much for expecting professional journalistic practices by reporters from the Sahara.

As if the foregoing was not bad enough, Sahara Reporter has gone out again today to circulate another complete falsehood to wit: “Mr. Ajimobi’s daughter, Ajibola, labeled the protesting students “Generation of Mannerless Children” on her Instagram page.”

Well it turns out that as usual, Sahara Reporters is never interested in carrying out any due diligence before rushing out to broadcast. Otherwise, it would have found that the person credited to have written that post is NOT Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s daughter notwithstanding the coincidence of them bearing the same names.

Before it went out with this untrue story, a Premium Times reporter had called me to request my opinion of the Instagram post. I told him he would have to call me back after I had investigated the veracity and author. He promised to. Well, I’m still waiting…

Perhaps to further underscore the shoddiness of its process, Sahara Reporters could not even get the very little details of my name and official title right! Well my name is Yomi Layinka, Special Adviser (Communication & Strategy).

For the records, here’s a picture of the alleged Instagram author and her father, and this is obviously not Governor’s Abiola Ajimobi:(pix withheld)

Via Yomi Layinka.“