to sue Toke Makinwa over her tell all book ‘On Becoming’ which he says
is an “exaggerated fabrication”.
He has also asked her to stop the sales of the book and all forms of promotional activities.
According to Maje, it is untrue that he gave Toke Makinwa a sexually
transmitted disease in the past or at any stage in their relationship.
It is also“highly misleading” for Toke’s book to allege that Maje “did
not financially contribute adequately” to their marriage.
TheCable.ng, reports that Maje’s lawyers have also sent the
on-air-personality, a “letter of demand” which says Toke Makinwa’s book
contains “defamatory words”. See the demand letter below.
Toke Makinwa’s tell-all book, On Becoming, had detailed her account of her relationship/marriage to Ayida, a fitness expert.
In the book, the television personality accused Ayida of giving her sexually transmitted diseases,
being a serial cheat and committing adultery.
The law firms Maje Ayida hired which are in both the United Kingdom and Nigeria to handle the case are:
- Carter-Ruck, a leading defamation law firm in the UK to top figures like Simon Cowell, Elton John and Chelsea FC
- while Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) of Pineiro LP is heading the legal front in Nigeria.
THE BONE OF CONTENTION
According to the letter of demand sent to Makinwa, her estranged husband
was said to have “requested legal separation” from her “within 6
months” of their marriage in January 2014 — “when it became clear that
the marriage was breaking down”.
Makinwa was alleged to have signed a legal separation agreement in July 2014.
The letter said it was well documented that Makinwa and Ayida had agreed
to separate by July 2014, which the book failed to record.
“The book misleadingly describes the circumstances at the time,” the letter read.
Pinheiro LP, the Nigerian law firm, said it was untrue that Maje had
given her an “STI in the past or at any stage in their relationship.”
The law firm also noted that it was “highly misleading” for the book to
allege that Maje “did not financially contribute adequately” to the
marriage.
“The publicity sought by you has been relentless, and limitless,” said
Adebowale Kamoru in the letter of demand, on behalf of Pinheiro LP.
EFFECT OF BOOK ON MAJE’S CAREER
The law firm further noted that the publication has brought “public
ridicule” on Maje, noting that his reputation has been “assaulted,
injured and damaged.”
“His professional integrity as one of the leading health and wellness
practitioners in Nigeria, and his professional credibility built over
the years through dedicated hard work have been besmirched”, the letter
said.
According to the law firm, Makinwa’s representation of Ayida in the book
was “not a true reflection of who he is, his character and his
background.”
DEMANDS OF AYIDA
Maje Ayida, through his lawyers, has, among other things, informed
Makinwa to retrieve the already-sold books and stop all forms of
distribution, TheCable Lifestyle understands.
The letter mandated Makinwa to “withdraw from circulation all copies of
the book and take immediate steps to call in all copies of the book
already distributed and deliver up same at the place to be agreed upon
by our client for destruction.”
It further said a failure by the popular celebrity to “retract” the
“published words” and tender a full page unreserved apology to Maje
Ayida in three national dailies “will result in the commencement of
legal action.”
Makinwa was also advised to “take immediate steps” to stop the
distribution of the books on Amazon, iTunes and all forms of promotion
on her social media accounts.
She was given seven days upon receipt of the letter to comply with the demands or they’d be forced to seek legal redress.
The warning letter was said to have been delivered to Makinwa on Monday, December 23, 2016.
Makinwa is set to hold a book reading in Ghana on Friday, February 3.
It can’t be immediately confirmed whether she received the letter of demand.
TheCable.ng reports that messages they sent to her were unanswered.