A New York Law firm Daniel Szalkiewicz & Associates, P.C, engaged by Reno Omokri, the Special Assistant to the President on New Media, has  served a Cease and Desist Notice on Omoyele Sowore and saharareporters.com.

The firm also served the notice on Sowore’s financiers, The Omidyar Network and The Ford Foundation. US legal practice requires that  a Cease and Desist Notice should be served before an action against Saharareporters can be brought in New York.

The Vanguard has exclusively gotten a copy of the notice.

Meanwhile, Omokri’s Nigerian lawyer, Barrister Odiase Ewere, has called on saharareporters’ financiers to call the news website to order. In an exclusive interview with Vanguard, Ewere said “When foundations like The Ford Foundation and The Omidyar Network fund a body like saharareporters.com, they really have to ask themselves if it is their intention to fund the subversion of a democratically elected government and the defamation of functionaries of the government.”

Continuing, he said “The Ford Foundation and The Omidyar Network have a history of honourable philanthropic activity and a future as change agents. It would be sad to see their reputation tainted through their association with a gossip news website. I understand that they have removed the libelous and repugnant story from their site but that is not enough. Saharareporters must admit they lied, apologize and retract the story’.

Barrister Ewere said, “in his work as a pastor, Omokri is building an orphanage in Benin along with a US Christian ministry, saharareporters.com is putting this work that should provide shelter for children orphaned by Boko Haram at risk by publishing falsehood with no basis in truth.”