Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has debunked reports circulating on social media claiming that he was sentenced to death by hanging for allegedly embezzling ₦1 trillion during his time in office.
The viral post alleged that an Abia State High Court handed down the sentence after discovering the said amount in a foreign bank account allegedly linked to the former governor.
However, speaking in an interview with ABN TV on Tuesday, Ikpeazu dismissed the claims, describing them as baseless, mischievous, and laughable.
“This is not news, it is laughable,” the former governor stated. “It is simply a fabricated story designed to mislead the public.”
Also reacting to the development, former Abia State Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu, condemned the report as hate speech and called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate and bring those behind the fake news to justice.
Okiyi Kalu further alleged that the misinformation was part of a pattern of cyberattacks targeting Ikpeazu, accusing individuals loyal to Governor Alex Otti of being behind the fake report.
He noted that a similarly false publication had recently linked the former governor to a Nigerian music star.
However, the Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, refuted the allegations and distanced the governor from the viral report.
In a Facebook post, Ekeoma criticized the former commissioner, accusing him of attempting to exploit the situation for personal gain.
“It is laughable to imagine that Governor Otti, who ran the most decent and issue-based opposition campaign in the history of Abia politics, would sponsor anyone to publish such a ridiculous story,” Ekeoma wrote.
“What would Governor Otti stand to gain from such a rubbish report?” he queried, urging political actors to refrain from using the governor’s name for personal or financial leverage.
