REAL estate organisation, Landwey Investment Limited, has denied being involved in the suspension of the website of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).
This was contained in an email sent to The ICIR by the Head of the Organisation’s Legal unit Sijibomi Agbadaola, describing the allegations as untrue and misleading.
“We state categorically that neither Landwey, its staff, director or agents has ever ordered any website to be shut down nor would it engage in such alleged activities. We have become aware of the malicious and false claim and its variants and our legal team are taking appropriate steps accordingly to set the public straight on all such allegations,” Agbadaola noted.
On Tuesday, February 28, an online media organisation FIJ stated that Landwey’s boss Olawale Ayilara provided fake information to its service provider Digital Ocean, which led to the suspension of its website.
According to the FIJ, Landwey’s action was in retaliation to an investigation published by the media outlet, revealing that the real estate organisation received the sum of N42 million from a client and failed to provide the property paid for, 21 months after.
Following the investigation, Landwey had sent emissaries to the FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo with an appeal to take down the story, which was declined. However, about 10 months after the investigation, Digital Ocean accused the FIJ of copyright infringements.
FIJ said it is in possession of evidence showing the email is the handiwork of an international PR firm employed by Ayilara “to cleanse his digital footprints of negative comments”.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.