Muritala Oladimeji Abdul-Rasheed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Abdulwasiu Alfa, Esq., demanding an immediate retraction of a social media publication which he alleges is defamatory and gravely injurious to his professional reputation.
The demand, dated February 20, 2026, was issued through Tajudeen O. Oladoja, SAN & Co., and addressed to Abdulwasiu Alfa, Esq., in Maiduguri.
In the letter, counsel to the SAN objected to the contents of a publication circulated on February 16, 2026, under the headline: “THOSE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES DO NOT THROW STONES: MURRAY SHOULD ALLOW THE BAR TO HEAL FROM THE MCARTHUR FOUNDATION GRANT SAGA.”
The publication reportedly contained claims that Abdul-Rasheed was previously denied consideration for the rank of Senior Advocate due to alleged failure to account for funds from the MacArthur Foundation. It further suggested that he would not have been conferred with the rank had certain information been made available to the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee.
The statement was allegedly circulated on social media platforms including legallinkz.com, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and was said to have been widely read by members of the Nigerian Bar Association and the general public.
In the letter, the firm described the publication as libelous and damaging, asserting that the statements portrayed their client as unethical, criminal, and unworthy of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The firm further contended that the publication falsely implied misappropriation of USD 126,527.00 from funds allegedly provided by the MacArthur Foundation for advocacy related to the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law across Nigeria’s 36 states.
According to the solicitors, the statements were malicious and intended to subject the SAN to public contempt and ridicule.
The firm demanded that Abdulwasiu Alfa Esq, within 48 hours of receiving the letter, retract the allegedly defamatory publication on all social media platforms and any other medium where it was published, issue an unreserved written apology addressed to the SAN through the firm, and publish the retraction and apology on the same platforms and in two national newspapers circulating nationwide, including Daily Trust.
The notice concludes with a warning that failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe will leave the firm with no option but to institute legal proceedings to seek appropriate judicial remedies. As of press time, there has been no public response from the recipient of the letter.