Senate Orders Investigation into False Reports of Akpabio’s Death

— Senate President, Godswill Akpabio

By Adeola Idris

The Nigerian Senate has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA) to investigate claims circulating that Senate President Godswill Akpabio has passed away.

The decision was taken during plenary on Tuesday after Senator Titus Zam raised a point of order. He referred to fake reports circulating on some media platforms which claimed that the President of the Senate suffered a health emergency and was rushed to a hospital in London.

The senator said the spread of such false information is unacceptable and stressed that those responsible should be identified and made to face the law so that it will serve as a deterrent to others.

Responding to the issue, the President of the Senate, who presided over the plenary, said it has become increasingly difficult to control what is published by the media, especially when it concerns politicians. He described some content shared on certain platforms as “garbage in, garbage out”.

The media team of the Senate President had earlier dismissed reports circulating online that Akpabio collapsed and was flown to London for urgent medical treatment.

Speaking on Monday, Kenny Okolugbo, a Consultant on Communications and Strategy to the Senate President, described the report as “fake news.”

When contacted over the health claims, Okolugbo said, “It’s a lie, fake news,” without giving further details.

This clarification followed a report published by Sahara Reporters, which alleged that Akpabio collapsed on December 10 and was rushed to London in a private jet allegedly provided by business magnate, Aliko Dangote.

The report also claimed that the Senate President is currently receiving treatment abroad and has been absent from official duties, including the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) session held last Wednesday.