Itse Sagay, a legal scholar, has denied ever granting an interview to the Nigerian Tribune to deride President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-corruption efforts.

Talking having a correspondent of SaharaReporters by phone from Lagos, Mr. Sagay, a professor of law, well known constitutional lawyer and head of President Buhari's advisory committee on anti-corruption, said he was shocked to read a report concocted by the newspaper, crediting him with sharp criticism of the present administration's anti-corruption strategy. According to him, the paper's report on his interview that was purported symbolized a desperate attempt to discredit President Buhari's anti-corruption war.

Mr. Sagay told our correspondent that he'd ceased granting interviews to the Tribune after the paper's editors had spun an interview he granted them in August. According to him, the paper's report of his August interview was tailored to match the devious plan of its own editors consequently his rejection of all efforts by the newspaper to speak with him.

The Nigerian Tribune is among the newspapers named from funds which were meant to fight with Islamist insurgent group, Boko Haram. The disclosure of a prevalent dole-out of money to media groups, such as the Tribune, has emerged as a member of a scandal involving former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (ret.), who is accused of diverting more than $2 billion budgeted for weapons.

Researchers have disclosed that several Nigerian papers received N10 million each in the slush fund overseen by Mr. Dasuki. At least 12 papers were paid in the fund through Nduka Obaigbena, chair of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), according to investigators. Though the Tribune denied receiving the funds, following disclosures suggested that the paper's editors took part in a meeting where it was agreed the booty needs to be taken.

In dismissing the opinion attributed to him by the Tribune, Mr. Sagay said he had never met or spoken to the journalist who wrote the report, insisting that the interview was made up. He challenged the reporter and paper 's editors to provide the people using a tape recording of the so called interview.

The late Obafemi Awolowo founded the Tribune, and his family still owns the newspaper, which will be one of Nigeria's longest surviving daily newspapers.