Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has categorically denied reports that his son is being held in custody in India for alleged involvement in a murder case.
In a statement issued by the governor’s media unit, Professor Zulum dismissed the rumors as entirely false. The statement, signed by Abdurrahman Bundi, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, clarified the situation on Wednesday.
“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 an Indian citizen,” the statement began. “This misinformation was published in an online blog, Nairaland, titled ‘Son of Borno State Governor Murders Someone in India—Politics.’ The blog also claimed that the Governor traveled to India to use his diplomatic status to resolve the matter.”
The statement highlighted that Governor Zulum was on a one-month vacation in Saudi Arabia for the 2024 Hajj and later traveled 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,” the statement read.
The media unit demanded that Nairaland and all other sources spreading this false information remove the content from their platforms within 24 hours and issue an unreserved apology to Governor Zulum, his son, and the entire family, or risk legal action. The governor’s office also warned that legal steps would be taken against any media outlet that continues to publicize the defamatory information.
“We would like to inform the public that none of Governor Zulum’s sons were either arrested, charged with any crime, or involved in any unlawful activities anywhere,” the statement continued. “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.”
The statement concluded with a call for responsible journalism, urging media organizations to engage in truth and factual verification to avoid causing potential harm and psychological trauma to the governor’s family.
