The management of First News, an online newspaper, has retracted a story of a purported $30 billion fraud story allegedly involving President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The newspaper published a retraction of the story with apology on its website on Wednesday.
The controversial news story, authored by the newspaper’s editor, Segun Olatunji,was published on January 29.
It was published with the title, ‘How Gbajabiamila attempted to corner $30bn, 66 houses traced to Sabiu’.
But retracting the article on Wednesday, the First News management admitted that it found out that the publication about Mr Gbajabiamila contained “falsehoods and fabricated stories handed out to us as facts by a misleading source which was highly negligent on our part and for which we deeply tender an unreserved apology to the Chief of Staff to the President.”
The media outlet further said it has no malicious intent towards Mr Gbajabiamila.
“Hence, our decision to tender an unreserved apology and the need to publish a retraction of the said story,” it added.
Meanwhile, the newspaper’s editor Segun Olatunji has tendered his resignation.
In his resignation letter addressed to the management of FirstNews, Olatunji said it has become imperative for him to resign his appointment for his personal and family safety.
In the letter, Olatunji insisted that in no distant time, the truth of the matter will come out.
He wrote: “In view of the latest development regarding the Gbajabiamila story and the stance of the company’s Management, I hereby tender my resignation as the General Editor of First News.
”It has become imperative for me to resign my appointment for the safety of my person and my family. However, I want to state that in no distant time, the truth will come out and then it’ll be my word against theirs.
”I hope the Management of First Media Network Limited, publishers of First News newspaper, will be magnanimous enough to fully settle the one-year outstanding salaries I am being owed, in no time.
””I thank the company’s management for giving me the opportunity to contribute my quota to its operations in the past four years.”
Olatunji was abducted in his home in the Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State in March.
The military initially denied knowledge of his abduction but later yielded to pressure from the media and CSOs and admitted that Olatunji was in their custody over terrorism allegations.
He was eventually released on March 28 after 14 days of detention.
