September 24, (THEWILL) – The apex Tiv socio-cultural organisation, Mdzough U Tiv, Lagos State Branch, has asked Big Brother Naija All Stars housemate, Venita Akpofure, to public apologise for defaming the Tiv Nation.
Venita had allegedly said, during a live broadcast of the reality television show, that Tiv men were wont to offer their wives to visitors for entertainment.
Reacting, the organisation’s President, Engr. Theophilus Ukaa, and the Secretary, Anagbe Terungwa, in a statement demanded an incontrovertible and unreserved public apology from her whilst she still has the global media platform.
The group described Venita’s statement as falsehood taken too far and an aspersion cast on an entire tribe.
The statement read, “Mdrough U Tiv, Lagos State Chapter received with absolute displeasure a trending video which purportedly captured a housemate of the globally popular reality television show, Big Brother Naija (BBN), referred to as VENITA AKPOFURE, who on the international television show reportedly said that the Tiv of North Central Nigeria, arguably the fourth largest ethnic group, give out their wives to their guests for nuptial pleasure.|
“This statement is not only a falsehood taken too far, but an aspersion cast on an entire tribe. We take a very strong objection to this unwarranted provocation against our Tiv tribe.
“The said Venita Akpofure is reportedly a former wife of a Tiv man from an important family in the Tiv Nation. They are now divorced. So, we expect her to know better. She is said to have children from her former marriage. For that reason, we expect that she should be an ambassador of truth for her children’s sakes.
“That the said Venita Alpeture has decided to team up with evil conspirators who are intent on battering the image of the Tiv Nation. We demand an incontrovertible and unreserved public apology from her whilst she still has the global media platform.”
The group added that it had directed its lawyers to start legal action against Venita Akpofure towards seeking legal redress for this libelous infraction against an entire tribe.
Meanwhile, Hon. Dickson Tarkighir, the member representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency in Benue State in the House of Representatives, has threatened to file a N10 billion lawsuit against Venita and the reality show’s organisers for the defaming comment.
Taking to his Facebook page, he wrote: “#Venita Akpofure- Slam a 10BN defamation suit on her, the Big Brother brand, and its promoters, they provided her with the mega platform to defame an entire tribe and are equally liable for not disowning her.”
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