By Our Reporter
The Foundation of Investigative Journalism (FIJ) would soon face a fierce legal battle with some Law firms as investigations by our Reporter has exposed some fake news allegedly peddled recently by the online news blog.
It would be recalled that FIJ had alleged some unwholesome transactions between the substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina (now on Leave) and some Law Chambers. The online news platform had, in a publication with the title, “EXCLUSIVE: How VC Fasina Illegally Spent FUOYE’s N5m to Prosecute Personal Lawsuit ” , claimed that Prof. Fasina issued payment to the law Chambers, in which Barr. T. S. Adegboyega, acts as Principal Partner, from the account of the University for some personal legal services rendered to him. But findings by our Reporter have proved otherwise. When contacted to respond to the claims by FIJ, Prof. Fasina who described FIJ’s publication as fake news, said he was shocked at the development. His words: “l was shocked when l read on the FIJ news platforms that the law Chambers issued receipts for payment of legal services l secured personally in the name of FUOYE! Because that is blatant lie and one from the pit of hell. I have always paid for legal services rendered for my personal benefits from my own pockets and had never approved money for such from the University purse. Receipts issued in the name of the University for any legal services are for legal services that involve the University. So, I don’t know where the Reporter with FIJ got his news from. I don’t want to say more than that because I understand this case would be in court anytime from now. Thank you.”
In a similar development, Mr. Adegboyega of T.S Adegboyega & Co in a rejoinder made available to our Reporter, and signed by him, denied the claims by FIJ. The press release entitled, “LIES: NO RECEIPT WAS ISSUED TO FUOYE”, reads in part: “Our attention has just been drawn to the publication by one Sodiq Atanda; a correspondent of the Foundation of Investigative Journalism on a receipt issued by our Chambers to the Federal University Oye-Ekiti in a case of defamation against Dr. Gabriel Omonijo filed by Prof Abayomi Fasina and wish to make the records clear.
“It is disheartening the level of decadence that has bewildered our journalism in Nigeria. Professionalism and the ethics of journalism keep going on the decline as some journalists instead of educating and rightly informing the public have resorted into shady deals and used as a tool for blackmail just to disparage , denigrate and defame well-meaning Nigerians for reasons best known to them and their financiers.
“Sadeeq claimed in his reports that he reached out to Prof. Abayomi Fasina the supposed recipient of the receipts and got no response without making any efforts to reach out to our chambers that he claimed issued the receipt. We hereby state categorically that the documents he published is a fluke and all his aim is just to blackmail Prof. Abayomi Fasina, an assignment he started since January 2025 as he has been paid to do the hatchet job of pulling down the erudite scholar with his publications. Having seen his trend of publications against the person of Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina from January till date, a legal suit has already been filed on this issue and thereby we shall not be saying much so as not to avoid subjudice.
We encourage Sadiq and FIJ to do well to respond to the legal suit against them on blackmail and defamation against Prof. Abayomi Fasina.
We urge the public to disregard all these lies as we never issued any receipt to Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State in the said sum.”