by Musa Abdullahi
The Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola has denied reports that his son was arrested at the airport for suspected money laundering.
The report which went viral last night claims his son was arrested by custom officials while attempting to travel to Dubai with about N178 million.
A statement by his spokesman, Semiu Okanlawon, described the report as wicked and malicious.
Osun State Chairman of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa has been asked to retract and tender unreserved apology within seven days the claim that one of the sons of Governor Rauf Aregebsola, Abdulkabir was arrested for money laundering at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The solicitor to Abdulkabir, Mr Ajibola Basiru in a letter addressed to the PDP chairman, said that the retraction and apology must be done in at least two national dailies with wide circulation adding that failure to publish the said retraction with an apology within the said period may leave his client with no alternative option than to seek legal redress with its attendant consequences.
While stating that his client was never arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport for the offence of money laundering, Barrister Bashiru Ajibola noted that his client was nowhere near the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and he was not arrested at the airport or anywhere in the country at any time whatsoever.
“It may also interest you to know that our client has never been arrested anywhere in the country or outside the country for any offence since he was born. Our client is a young professional with a brilliant career. However, your orchestrated lie had reduced the image of our client in the estimation of every right thinking member of the public.
“It has also injured our client’s reputation and that of members of his families as you have portrayed him falsely as a money launder.
According to the letter, “our client informed us that he received numerous calls from families and friends directing him to check a news publication in two national dailies (Daily Independent not inclusive) with captions: “Osun Govt, PDP bicker over alleged arrest of Aregbesola’s son for attempted money laundering”, and “Osun denies Kabiru Aregbesola’s alleged arrest”.
“In the said publications, you (Ganiyu Olaoluwa) issued a statement on behalf of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) emphatically stating that our client was arrested at the departure wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport with a lump sum of money that was not cleared but stocked in his luggage.
“Based on these false and wicked allegations you were urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) not to sweep the trumped up allegation under the carpet.
Contrary to the above, our client, Mr. Abdulkabir Aregbesola, was nowhere near the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and he was not arrested at the airport or anywhere in the country at any time whatsoever.
“We therefore have our client’s instruction for a retraction of the said offensive statement with an apology within seven days of the receipt of this letter. The retraction with an apology must be done in at least two national newspapers which must be widely circulated.
“And failure to publish the retraction with an apology within the seven days as demanded will leave us with no alternative than to seek legal redress with its attendant consequences.
