A former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has denied telling Nigerians they deserve the renewed Boko Haram attacks for rejecting former President Goodluck Jonathan at the polls.
Mr. Fani-Kayode was reacting to a news headline by online news website, PREMIUM TIMES that “For rejecting Jonathan, Nigerians deserve Boko Haram”.
According to him, the headline is false as he would never say such a thing or harbor such a horrendous and heartless view.
A statement by the ex-minister’s Special Assistant, Jude Ndukwe, reads in part: “For the last few years Chief Fani-Kayode has been one of the loudest and most strident voices against Boko Haram in Nigeria and he has continuously and courageously condemned them. He has also continuously expressed his grave concerns about the barbarity and sheer evil that they have unleashed on the Nigerian people and he has constantly expressed his condolences to and support for the families whose loved ones have been murdered by them over the years.
“For Premium Times or anyone else to allege that Chief Fani-Kayode wrote that the Nigerian people ‘deserve Boko Haram’ under any circumstances is not just mischievous but it is also irresponsible and malicious. It is a wicked lie which is designed to endanger the life and reputation of Chief Fani-Kayode and to subject him to public odium, ridicule, outrage and opprobium.
“We challenge anyone that doubts the veracity of our contention to go and read Chief Fani-Kayode’s write-up on his Facebook wall because it is still there. They should point out where President Jonathan’s name was mentioned and they should also point out where he wrote that ‘Nigerians deserve Boko Haram’.
“We urge our friends in the media to please check their sources properly before going to press and to quote people accurately. They should also treat such matters in a thoroughly honest and professional manner and with the greatest sensitivity. Since yesterday night we have been inundated with calls from concerned Nigerians about this fake headline and we have had to go to great lengths to set the record straight.
“We appreciate the fact that the overwhelming majority of Nigerian media practitioners always adhere to the highest standards of ethics and practice but when things go wrong, for the sake of posterity, it is important to set the record straight”.
