Senate asks NSA, DSS to track authors of Akpabio death rumours

The senate has asked the office of the office national security adviser (ONSA) and the department of state services (DSS) to investigate and identify those behind social media reports alleging that Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, died in a London hospital.

Titus Zam, senator representing Benue north-west, raised the matter during Tuesday’s plenary, describing the reports as dangerous and damaging to Nigeria’s leadership.

“I am raising this motion due to the social media reportage that alluded to the fact that Mr. Senate President died in a London hospital,” Zam said.

“This is a very serious matter; number three citizen in Nigeria; such reports about you, your person, and your office need to be investigated.”

Zam said the spread of false death reports was becoming a pattern, recalling that similar claims were recently made about Yakubu Gowon, the former head of state.

“It’s not only you that was reported in this negative manner; the former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, was equally reported a few days ago to have died. This is not a good report about the leaders of our country,” Zam said.

The lawmaker called for urgent action against those responsible, arguing that sanctions would deter the spread of harmful misinformation.

“There is an urgent need to not just investigate, but to punish the promoters of such negative news about the leaders of this country,” he said.

“When sanctions are meted out against the promoters of such negative reports about our leaders it will serve as a deterrent to anybody who engages in such an infamous and dangerous act against the leadership of our democracy and our country.”

Zam added that those responsible could be traced through digital footprints.

“The social media promoters of negative information can be traced and they’ll be punished,” he said.

Responding, Akpabio said the problem of false reports was not limited to politicians, noting that misinformation had affected public figures across sectors.

The senate president thereafter asked ONSA and the DSS to identify the originators and promoters of the false reports and take appropriate action.