The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has threatened legal action against The Punch and Daily Times newspapers over publications linking its Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, to an alleged coup plot against the Federal Government, Peak Newspaper reports.
In a letter made available to Peak Newspaper from its legal representatives, Adedipe and Adedipe Legal Practitioners, and signed by Chief Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), the Commission accused the newspapers of publishing “false and defamatory” claims without evidence or verification.
The reports had alleged that Dr. Ogbuku was arrested by military intelligence for allegedly co-sponsoring a failed coup attempt against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that funds from NDDC contracts were used to finance the purported plot.
The NDDC described the allegations as “entirely false, malicious, and defamatory,” insisting that neither Dr. Ogbuku nor any Commission official had been invited, arrested, or questioned in connection with any coup-related matter.
The letter, dated October 30, demanded an immediate retraction of the publications and an apology to be published in at least four national newspapers, including five consecutive editions of The Punch and Daily Times, across all their platforms.
The Commission also warned that failure to comply within seven days would result in civil and criminal proceedings under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024) and other applicable laws.
When Peak Newspaper contacted, NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, confirmed the demand, saying the Commission considered the report “a grave misrepresentation capable of damaging its image and that of its leadership.”
As of the time of filing this report, neither The Punch nor Daily Times had issued a public response to the allegations.
