Premium Times Dares Nigerian Army, Says "No Retraction, No Apologies"

Online News Portal, Premium Times has replied the Letter written by The Nigerian Army threatening to sue them for Posting Malicious and Defamatory publications against the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, a Lieutenant General, and the army’s counter-insurgency operation in the north-east of the country.

The medium pointedly told the Army and their high command that they should expect neither a retraction nor apology.
In other words, Premium Times stands by its story.

The report, as Premium Times puts it, were those on the planned invitation of Mr. Buratai by the Code of Conduct Bureau for asset verification, disappearance of a high number of soldiers after a Boko Haram attack and an investigation detailing how soldiers allegedly killed a kidnapped pastor and labeled him a kidnapper.
The army, in its letter of 22 December 2016, described the reports as “false,” “unsubstantiated,” and “unprofessional.” “Despite the fact that your unprofessional publications are injurious to the personality of the leadership of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Army as a whole, it may interest you to know that your attempts have failed woefully to malign and impugn the hard-earned character of the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army,” the letter said.

Worse still, the Army alleged that “ these stories published without reference to the Nigerian Army in order to have a balance, have without doubt exposed your deep hatred for the leadership of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Army as a service and the Nigerian nation for undisclosed reasons. It is submitted that your unprofessional one sided and unprovoked attacks on the Nigerian Army and its leadership, especially with regards to its operation in the Country have confirmed your unalloyed loyalty to the terrorist cause.

The letter therefore ordered PREMIUM TIMES to retract the said publications and apologise to Mr. Buratai and the Nigerian Army.

However, Premium Times, through its lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, wrote:

“Our clients hereby state unequivocally that there is no truth whatsoever in any of the claims you made in your said letter. Our clients do not have any hatred, deep or shallow, for anyone in the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Army as an institution, or indeed the Nigerian State. Our clients have no loyalty to any terrorists’ cause or to any terrorist organization, including Boko Haram. Our clients’ stories were well checked, and their procedure was professional. Our clients therefore will not retract their stories and will not tender reserved or unreserved apology as demanded by you and your principals."