Ahmed Musa, the presenter of Brekete Show on 101.1 Human Rights Radio in Abuja, has tendered an apology for defaming the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, following the minister’s decision to sue the radio station and the presenter.
In a broadcast monitored in Abuja on Friday, Musa also retracted his claim that successive ministers of the ministry are paid N200 million by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
In reference to his previous broadcasts in which he claimed the minister has not commented on the NFF issue being discussed on the programme because he was compromised, a shaken Musa, who presents his show in a smattering of Pidgin, English and a sprinkling of other languages, said during the live broadcast that, “If that one offend you, I withdraw the statement.”
The presenter further said: “Honourable Minister Sunday Dare, I tender my unreserved apology on air to you, based on the request of your lawyer."
Mr. Dare had through Festus Keyamo’s Chambers written Human Right Radio and Ordinary Ahmed Musa to desist from broadcasting falsehood about him, retract the misleading claims previously made, apologise on the Brekete programme and publish the retraction with apology in two national newspapers or face a N10 billion libel suit.
The suit however continues to dangle over the presenter and his radio station as the retraction with apology is yet to be published in two newspapers with national coverage as demanded.
Meanwhile, sources have confirmed that guests on the radio programme who contributed to making the spurious claim are also in line to be slammed with libel suits and criminal defamation.
Notable among them is NFF’s former head of protocol, Tunde Aderibigbe and Harrison Jalla.
One of the sources disclosed that “lawyers have been briefed to demand that these guests on Brekete radio show step forward with verifiable proof that N200 million was given to the minister as they claimed or insinuated, failing which they will be sued for their net worth.”