The Executive Chairman, Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA), Mogaji Akin Fagbemi Ph.D has sued the management of Premiumdailys.com, which according to him is a “highly notorious and faceless online media platform known for executing hatchet jobs for opposition politicians and whomever pays the piper”.
In a long letter titled “RE: SEXUAL HARRASSMENT, PHYSICAL TORTURE LEADS TO LOST OF PREGNANCY; DEMAND FOR RETRACTION OF THE LIBELOUS PUBLICATION, APOLOGY AND PAYMENT OF N500,000,000.00 (FIVE HUNDRED MILLION NAIRA) AS SPECIAL AND GENERAL DAMAGES TO MOGAJI DR. AKIN FAGBEMI” written by AOC Aresa Chambers, Attorneys and Solicitors to the OYRTMA Boss dated 31st January 2023 and obtained by our correspondent, the online blog, Premiumdailies.com was required to in addition to the remittance of above sum, within 3 days publish a comprehensive apology in at least 3 national dailies of repute.
As at the time of filling this report, we gathered that the letter has been successfully served and response of the blog or it’s solicitors is being awaited.
You would recall that on the 27th January, 2023, premiumdailys.com had widely circulated a disputed publication on the alleged personal involvement of Mogaji Akin Fagbemi in a case of sexual harassment and physical assault of an ‘ad-hoc staff’ of OYRTMA. However, in a rejoinder obtained by our correspondent on the same day, the OYRTMA management vehemently refuted the false claims by premiumdailys.com by providing hard evidences which revealed it was one Mr. Olonade Eyitayo (OYTRMA Officer) that was involved in the matter and not the Executive Chairman, Dr. Akin Fagbemi. The Authority therefore subsequently threatened to take legal actions against the blog if within three working days the misleading publication was not retracted and public apology tendered.
An excerpt of the rejoinder reads: “Ordinarily, it is not in the nature of this Authority to issue a rejoinder on issues emanating from faceless political oppositions through gutter journalism devoid of reasonable contents and apparently targeted at tarnishing the image of the Oyo State Government led by His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde and particularly the fast-rising public image of the Executive Chairman of OYRTMA, Mogaji Akin Fagbemi especially at this crucial period of politics and elections.
However, in the best interest of the general public, it is important we issue this rejoinder to put the records straight and avoid continuous spread of misinformation.
The Authority received a letter dated 23rd December 2022 from one Mr. Ogunlade Samuel Oladele, husband to Mrs. Akande Victoria titled “Complain on Olonade Eyitayo, Who Absconded with Akande Victoria, My Wife” (see attached). This letter was fortified with pictorial evidences of alleged illicit sexual affairs between Mrs. Akande Victoria and Mr. Olonade Eyitayo (see attached) who is an Officer of the Authority. Mr. Ogunlade had through the letter disclosed that his wife, Mrs. Akande Victoria had left home since August, 2022 claiming to have travelled to Ife town only to be told by different people that she was at different times sighted with Officer Olonade Eyitayo in Oyo town.
Upon receipt of these grievous allegations against the person of Officer Olonade Eyitayo, the Executive Chairman of the OYRTMA, Mogaji Akin Fagbemi had constituted a five-man panel of enquiry led by the General Manager of the Authority, Mr. Adeoye Kola Ayoade to unravel the nitty-gritty of the matter. The panel of enquiry swung into action and visited the operational base of Officer Olonade Eyitayo in Oyo town to meet with all concerned. It was at this point that the panel met one Mrs. Akande Victoria claiming to be a secretary to Officer Olonade Eyitayo.
Investigations during the visit revealed some unexplainable financial dealings linked to Mrs. Akande Victoria and as at the time of writing this rejoinder, the investigations are still ongoing internally to ascertain the true picture of events. Contrary to claims of assault and physical harassment in the article, it is imperative to state that at no point during the investigation process was Mrs. Akande Victoria or any other person for that matter physically assaulted or brutalized. This could be affirmed to by eyewitnesses including OYRTMA Officials present and family relatives of both Officer Olonade and Mrs. Victoria who were present at the scene.
In its official response to Mr. Ogunlade’s letter of complaint, the Authority had through a letter dated 4th January, 2023 explained the immediate actions the Authority had taken to get the facts of the matter and restore normalcy in accordance to the rules of engagement of the Authority (see attached)”, the rejoinder partly read.
Meanwhile, in another development, we have obtained a letter dated 30th January 2023, written by ‘Bayo Adeyi & Co., Solicitors to one Mr. Ogunlade Oladele Akande, husband to Mrs. Victoria Akande who was the supposed ad-hoc staff of OYRTMA that was alleged to have been sexually harassed by Dr. Akin Fagbemi. The letter (attached herewith) apparently corroborated the stance of Mogaji Akin Fagbemi has captured in his rejoinder on the matter as it was officially laid bare by Mr. Akande’s Solicitors that the estranged wife of their client, Mrs. Akande under false pretense eloped with one Olonade Eyitayo (OYRTMA Officer) and not Mogaji Akin Fagbemi and that their relationship has nothing to do with the management of OYRTMA and in particular, the person of Mogaji Akin Fagbemi.
While we shall continue to monitor and report further developments on this matter until logically conclusions, our readers are advised to carefully study the attached documents as obtained by our correspondent to have a better grasp on the issues.
