The Senate on Tuesday mandated Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the source and spread of viral rumours falsely claiming that Senate President Godswill Akpabio had died.
The directive followed a motion raised during plenary by Titus Zam (Benue North-West), who expressed concern over persistent and misleading social media reports about the health and alleged death of the Senate President.
For more than a week, various claims have circulated online suggesting that Akpabio was gravely ill, with some posts alleging that he collapsed in a London hospital and was placed in intensive care, while others went further to claim that he had died.
The latest episode marks the third such rumour within a year.
The speculation gained traction after a Nigeria-US-based blogger, Adeola Fayehun, shared a post on Instagram calling on Nigerians to pray for the Senate President, whom she described as critically ill in a London hospital.
The post referenced photographs of Akpabio using a walking stick and alluded to an alleged collapse during his birthday celebration two years ago.
The claims spread further after they were reposted by another Nigeria-born blogger, Tunde Ednut.
Presenting the motion, Zam described the repeated circulation of false death reports about Nigerian leaders as harmful to the country’s image, urging the Senate to ensure that those behind such rumours are sanctioned to deter future occurrences.
In his response, Akpabio said he was not the first public figure to be falsely declared dead, recalling a past incident involving a former head of state, Yakubu Gowon.
“You want to know that it is not only politicians that they bring this report about.
“Somebody was telling me that they showed a burial ceremony of a business tycoon when the person is not dead and they also said the former head of state, General Gowon is dead when he was alive attending last Christmas Carol,” he said.
Akpabio thereafter called on the NSA and the DSS to trace the origin of the rumour and investigate those responsible.
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The motion was adopted by a voice vote with overwhelming support from senators.
“All we can do is to send the matter to the NSA to handle it.
“Is it the view of the Senate that this matter be referred to the National Security Adviser, the DSS to investigate.
“You can’t stop people from writing. You know the internet is garbage in garbage out, so you can’t stop garbage in,” he added.
This is not the first time Akpabio has been the subject of false death reports, with similar claims repeatedly surfacing in the past, often alleging that he died in the United Kingdom.
