L-R: Dr. Mathew & Adeyanju Esq.
Comrade Deji Adeyanju,
I read your statement concerning Pastor David Ibiyeomie with deep concern not just because of its tone, but because it grossly misrepresents the law and undermines the ethics of the profession.
You claimed that Pastor Ibiyeomie was “threatening Nigerians” for criticizing him but let me remind you, as one who claims to be a legal practitioner, of a few facts:
1. Freedom of Speech Has Legal Limits
What Pastor Ibiyeomie said was a lawful warning against cyberbullying and defamation, particularly targeted at those manipulating his messages to incite the public.
That is not a threat, it is a right to seek legal redress, protected by the Nigerian Constitution and Cybercrime laws.
2. He Spoke Within the Ambit of Law
If you had reviewed his full message (instead of reacting to social media clips), you would have realized he never said Nigerians cannot speak.
He said those who distort, defame, and bully will be addressed using the law.
This is not a threat — it is a recourse to due process.
3. Your Remarks Are Unprofessional and Reckless
Your public comments sound more like champathy (soliciting brief through populism) than legal reasoning.
If your goal was legal commentary, then you should have led with statute, not sentiment.
It is unbecoming of a lawyer to stir public hate toward a respected figure without facts, without context, and without caution.
4. The Optics Matter
At this point, your statements mirror those of your client and it gives the impression that you are not just counsel, but a co-instigator.
No respectable lawyer operates that way in public discourse.
They defend but they do not join hands to attack.
I advise you, for the integrity of your name and your practice, to:
1. Retract your misrepresentations
2. Watch the full context before speaking again
3. Respect the ethics that govern your noble profession
If you continue along this path of reckless commentary and baseless defamation, then legal redress will proceed not only against your client, but against you as an enabler.
Govern yourself accordingly.
Signed
Dr. Francis David Matthew
