#EndBadGovernance: Threats Ensue After WAW, FIJ Stories On Rasheedat Adu’s N50,000 Bribe Rejection

In response to the recent West Africa Weekly report on the N50,000 bribe offered to journalists covering the #EndBadGovernance protests at the Lekki Toll Plaza in Lagos on August 1st, 2024, a supposed freelance journalist, identified as Bob of Twenty20 Media Limited has threatened to file a lawsuit and “involve” Rasheedat Abiodun Adu, the Chairperson of Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Bob’s threats ensued hours after the report was published on the first day of the protests. In a series of WhatsApp messages sent to West Africa Weekly reporter Mayowa Durosinmi, he claimed that the report was intended to tarnish his image and that of an unidentified female NTA reporter with whom he collated the list of media houses pencilled down for the bribe payment.

It will be recalled that Durosinmi and Emmanuel Uti of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) had asked that their organisations’ names be crossed out of the list for a N50,000 bribe offered by an unidentified male aide who had accompanied the LCDA Chair, Adu, to the procession ground in a cream Lexus RX350.

Having exchanged contact details with Durosinmi prior to the bribe attempt, Bob read reports about his actions published by FIJ and West Africa Weekly later that day. He then sent threatening messages via WhatsApp signaling his intention to file a lawsuit and potentially involve Adu. In the messages, he falsely claimed that Durosinmi accepted the money, and that he must refund it.

Bro, why the lie? A bribe is given to cover up something evil, so what was the bribe for?[…] Why did you reject the money and publish this? Oh I see that was the reason you asked your name [sic] to be crossed. Well first you will have to return that money I gave you. Secondly, I will get in touch with your agency through my legal team.”

With the understanding that Bob had mistaken FIJ’s report (which identified the media organisations that took the bribe) for the West Africa Weekly report (which did not), Durosinmi responded, “FIJ is not West Africa Weekly.” Nevertheless, Bob then threatened a lawsuit if, after 24 hours, the story is not brought down. If this was not done, he said, he would “get the LCDA chair involved.”

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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