Professor Rasheed Adebayo of the University of Abuja has announced plans to sue Sahara Reporters for defamation, following the publication of an article on April 30, 2025.
The report alleged that the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, was orchestrating efforts to appoint Prof. Adebayo as Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) in Katsina State.
It further claimed that Prof. Adebayo had previously been dismissed from FUDMA for gross misconduct.
Prof. Adebayo refuted these allegations, asserting that he voluntarily resigned from FUDMA after accepting a position at the University of Abuja.
He stated that he had fulfilled all contractual obligations, including paying the required three months’ salary in lieu of notice.
He also provided documentation indicating that FUDMA had issued a letter confirming his clearance of all pending issues before his departure.
The professor expressed concern over the absence of a byline in the Sahara Reporters article and questioned the silence of FUDMA’s administration regarding the publication.
He warned that he would pursue legal action against the media outlet and FUDMA if the article is not retracted.
Prof. Adebayo also alleged that his tenure at FUDMA was marred by harassment and victimisation from the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Arma-Yau Hamisu Bichi.
He claimed that despite being the most qualified among 72 applicants for the Vice Chancellor position, he was unfairly denied the opportunity due to internal politics.
This incident adds to a series of legal challenges faced by Sahara Reporters.
Notably, in 2017, a Kwara State High Court ordered the publication to pay ₦4 billion in damages to then-Senate President Bukola Saraki over libellous articles.
Similarly, in 2020, Attorney General Abubakar Malami threatened legal action against the outlet for defamatory publications.
As of now, Sahara Reporters has not responded to Prof. Adebayo’s allegations.
The academic community and the public await further developments in this legal matter.
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