Defamation: Warmate retracts, apologies over malicious publications against Prof. Ongoebi Etebu
A journalist who purportedly claimed to be working for an online Media, Mr. Daboikiabo Z. Warmate has publicly retracted and apologized to Professor Maureen Ongoebi Etebu over publications he made with some online news platforms Eagle Eyes Reports and Track Reporters alleging that Professor Etebu defrauded the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) Okerenkoko of the sum of One billon Eight hundred Million Naira.
Mr. Warmate who along side five others are facing criminal defamation charges at the Federal High court in Warri, Delta State made the retraction and apology in the Vanguard Newspaper dated Friday, 24th June, 2022, which was sighted by one of our correspondents.
Professor Etebu a former Dean of Faculty of Engineering, University of Port Harcourt and pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko had dragged Mr. Jackson Ude the publisher of Pointblanknews.com Warmate and three others before a Federal High Court in Warri for criminal defamation and malicious publications against her.
Mr. Warmate’s apology read: “On the 5th day of July, 2020 I published a news article with the above headline through an online news platform known as Eagle Eyes Report and Crack Reporters, wherein I alleged that Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Orubide Etebu defrauded the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State to the tune of N1,800,000,000.00 (One Billion, Eight Hundred Million Naira) which was meant for staff salaries and welfare through profiteering from ghost workers on the payroll, and covered the looting by hurriedly conducting a recruitment in November, 2019 but backdated it to April, 2019.
“I hereby state that the news article is false and hereby retract same and render my unreserved apology to Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Orubide Etebu for all the inconveniences that the publication have caused her, her career and family.”
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