The Supreme News: Losing The War of Facts, by Danjuma Lamido

What is the true agenda of The Supreme News, an online publication? What is the purpose of their endeavours? Or, pulling back the curtain, what is Joe Omokaro, the publisher, actually trying to say? Is Omokaro a libelist or a true journalist? These questions seem to be begging for answers, but the answers don’t seem that unlikely.

The Supreme News goofs and gaffes at will, yet it parades itself as an online investigative outfit.

It makes one wonder if this is the real motto of a website that is known for publishing more fiction than fact and throwing shade in a catch-me-if-you-can fashion.

The Supreme News’ claim to investigative journalism rests more on hearsay and jaundiced facts. While the publication would lay claims to have made significant contributions to Nigerian journalism, Joe Omokaro has, more than anything else, practised yellow journalism, thus facing much criticism for errors, inaccuracies, and controversies.

Some of the goofs or criticisms levied against the Supreme News over time include inaccurate reporting, bias, and partisanship, with critics arguing that the Supreme News is playing out an agenda of some senior police officers and targets the present Inspector General of Police, IGP Egbetokun in particular. 

 The Supreme News has been accused of prioritising sensational headlines over fact-based reporting. Lack of transparency leads to questions about their reporting practice. 

As per the recent publication titled “IGP Egbetokun Tenure Extension News Unofficial, Due For Retirement Today, Tinubu Yet To Sign Act, Lobby Intensifies,” The Supreme News should agree that they goofed big time, but whether the publication was remorseful about it has yet to be seen. As usual, even when they published a rejoinder to that effect, they still grandstanded about it.

I am sure the Commissioner of Police Joe Omokaro would have been disappointed by now since IGP Kayode Egbetokun didn’t go on “Retirement Today.”

President Tinubu doesn’t need to sign into law the Police Act, which ought to empower Egbetokun to spend more than three years in office, as his appointment letter dated November 3, 2023, signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, stated that “Your appointment is with effect from October 31, 2023, for a term of four (4) years in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(6) of the Police Act, 2020.

The Supreme News goofed big time when it said, “The President is considering him (Egbetokun) for a six-month extension because of the governorship elections. He has put in place considerable logistics for the elections; he would be allowed to oversee the elections.”

An IGP that already had four years in office doesn’t need an extension because of any governorship elections. Egbetokun will hand over by October 2027 to another competent Inspector General of Police.

Another gaffe from the Supreme News is that “the Comptroller-General of the Customs is from Ogun State.” Meanwhile, the Nigerian Customs Service boss is from Osun State and not Ogun State.

The final goof and gaffe from the Supreme News is that report “exclusively” in July that President Bola Tinubu’ had endorsed a Commissioner of Police (CP) to succeed Egbetokun this September.

In a sane environment, people like Joe Omokaro should be in prison for the next two years, as Section 373 of the Criminal Code Act defines libel as a false and malicious publication that damages a person’s reputation, thus a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment for up to two years or a fine as provided in Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

The law presumes malice if the publication is false and damages reputation in Section 374, Criminal Code Act.

Danjuma Lamido writes from Kano State. email: danjumalamido06@gmail.com