David Hundeyin, the controversial self-styled investigative journalist, has once again stirred the waters of disinformation, targeting former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, in his latest smear campaign. Hundeyin, notorious for fabricating falsehoods and tarnishing reputations, is fresh off a humiliating legal defeat in the United Kingdom, where he was found guilty of libel and ordered to pay £95,000 in damages. Yet, instead of introspection or reform, he has doubled down on his reckless pattern of deceit, this time dragging Osinbajo into his mire of baseless allegations.
In a piece published by ParallelFact, a disreputable blog which does duty bidding for Hundeyin and his minions, he claims that Professor Osinbajo played a role in reducing a $6 billion settlement to $75 million for Pfizer, following the illegal Trovan drug trial that resulted in the deaths of over 11 Nigerian children, are both misleading and factually incorrect and are fundamentally flawed.
Hundeyin himself runs West Africa Weekly where he churns out his half truths regularly. Findings show that he allegedly uses blogs like ParallelFacts to push stories that are completely false mostly to avoid libel suits. Hundeyin regularly boasts that he has never been sued for libel. Now we know why!
Firstly, it is important to clarify that Osinbajo was not the Federal Government’s lawyer in this matter; he served as the legal representative for Kano State. The federal interests were represented by other legal teams. This distinction is crucial, as it underscores that Osinbajo did not have the authority or capacity to influence the settlement negotiations on behalf of the federal government.
Moreover, the reduction of the settlement amount was primarily driven by Pfizer’s own legal strategies aimed at mitigating its losses. Osinbajo’s team was not facilitating this reduction; rather, they were actively pushing back against Pfizer’s attempts to minimize their liabilities. In fact, Osinbajo’s efforts resulted in securing damages for Kano State, which also led to an agreement for Pfizer to build a significant hospital in Kano. This outcome highlights the proactive stance taken by Osinbajo and his team in advocating for the interests of the state.
Finally, trusting Hundeyin’s assertions is unwise, particularly given his recent track record of spreading misinformation. His claims lack substantiation and have led to legal repercussions against him for libel. This pattern raises serious questions about his credibility and reliability as a source of information.
In light of these facts, it is clear that Hundeyin’s narrative surrounding Osinbajo and Pfizer is not only inaccurate but also misleading. He is a chronic fabricator of falsehoods, notorious for his relentless obsession with tarnishing the impeccable reputation of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
His compulsive penchant for deceit recently caught up with him when a court found him guilty of libel, ordering him to pay £95,000 in damages for defamatory statements made against BBC journalist Charles Northcott. This judgment underscores the unreliability of Hundeyin’s claims and highlights a troubling pattern of spreading misinformation without substantiation.
Rather than continuing his baseless and malicious campaign against a man of proven integrity, Hundeyin should focus on facing his libel guilt and addressing the judgment against him. His discredited antics only further expose his lack of credibility, which can never stand against the truth of Osinbajo’s distinguished character.
