The Borno State Governor’s Media Unit has refuted reports circulating on online media platforms that one of the governor’s sons, Babagana Zulum, has been arrested and sentenced to prison for the murder of Indian citizens.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, Abdurrahman Ahmed Bundi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, described the reports as “rumors” and clarified that the governor’s son has committed no crime and has not been arrested.
The statement read: “The attention of the Borno State Governor’s Media Unit has been drawn to rumors circulating that the son of the Borno State Governor has been arrested for the alleged murder of some Indian citizens. We wish to inform the public that these reports are entirely false and have no basis in fact.”
The government urged the public to disregard the reports and assured that the governor’s son has not been involved in any criminal activity.
“This misinformation was published in an online blog, Nairaland, titled “Son of Borno State Governor Murders Someone In India—Politics.” The blog claimed that the Governor also travelled to India, attempting to use diplomatic status to resolve the matter.
“It is on record that Governor Babagana Zulum was on a one-month vacation in Saudi Arabia for the 2024 Hajj and later travelled to Egypt to attend the annual ASUWAN forum conference in Cairo.
“The Media Unit would like to clarify and set the record straight that Nairaland and other online blogs have mischievously spread defamatory content without any speck of truth.
“We hereby warned Nairaland and all those who have spread the false information to pull down this misinformation from its website and platforms within the next 24 hours and offer an unreserved apology to Governor Zulum, his son, and the entire family, or risk legal action. The Governor shall also not hesitate to take legal action against any media outlet that continues to publicise this defamatory information on its platform.
“We would like to inform the public that none of Governor’s Zulum’s son was either arrested or charged with any crime, or involved in any unlawful activities anywhere.
“We urge the public to exercise caution when consuming and sharing information, particularly when it comes from unverified sources and blogs instead of credible media outlets.
“We enjoin all media organisations to engage in responsible journalism of truth and factual verification while recognising the potential harm and psychological trauma the spread of false information might have caused to the Governor’s family.” The statement concluded.
Our Correspondent observed that there were unverified rumors especially in the social media platforms that the first son of the governor who got married not quite long ago, divorced his wife, and also committed murder abroad.
