AIT apologises to Buhari’s ex-ADC over ‘damaging’ documentary

DAAR Communications Plc, owner of AIT, has apologised to Mustapha Jokolo, former aide de camp of President Muhammadu Buhari, over a defamatory documentary it aired.

On January 24, AIT broadcast a documentary entitled, ‘The Real Buhari’, in which it alleged that Jokolo cleared 53 suitcases, suspected to contain cash, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, for Buhari in 1984 when he was head of state.

Irked by the documentary, Jokolo, who is the emir of Gwandu, filed a libel suit against the broadcaster, but an out-of-court settlement was later reached.

One of the conditions for settlement was that AIT must retract its story and tender a public apology.

In the retraction and apology note seen by TheCable, the broadcaster said its intention to air the documentary was not to diminish the reputation of the emir.

“DAAR Communications Plc states that in airing the said documentary, it had no intention whatsoever to embarrass or diminish the high reputation of Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo whom it holds in very high esteem,” it read.

“DAAR Communications Plc hereby retracts the said documentary on the television station (AIT) titled ‘The Real Buhari’ aired on 24 January 2015 which was broadcast on its television station (AIT).

“DAAR Communications Plc hereby tenders unreserved apology to Alhaji Mustapha Haruna Jokolo for the broadcast of the said documentary on its television station (AIT).”

In the build-up to the 2015 general election, AIT had run some critical documentaries on the president and Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tinubu had also filed a libel suit against AIT, but he later withdrew it after the broadcaster apologised.