The Borno State government has dismissed circulating reports claiming that Umara, one of the sons of Governor Babagana Zulum, was arrested for the alleged murder of an Indian national.
According to social media posts, Umara, a student at a university in New Delhi, was alleged to have attacked a Chinese national with a bottle at a nightclub over a romantic interest, resulting in serious injury. However, these claims have been strongly refuted by Abdurrahman Ahmed Bundi, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Zulum on New Media.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Bundi clarified that none of the governor’s sons have been arrested, charged with any crime, or involved in any unlawful activities. He urged the public to be cautious about the information they consume and share.
“The Borno State Governor’s media unit‘s attention 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. This misinformation was published in an online blog, titled ‘Son of Borno State Governor Murders Someone In India—Politics,’ which also falsely claimed that the Governor traveled to India to use his diplomatic status to resolve the matter,” Bundi stated.
He continued, “It is on record that Governor Babagana Zulum was on a one-month vacation in Saudi Arabia for the 2024 Hajj and later traveled to Egypt to attend the annual ASWAN forum conference in Cairo. The Media Unit would like to clarify and set the record straight that blogs have mischievously spread defamatory content without any speck of truth.”
The statement further warned those spreading the false information to retract their claims and issue an unreserved apology to Governor Zulum and his family within 24 hours or face legal action.
“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. We enjoin all media organizations to engage in responsible journalism, verifying facts before publication, and recognizing the potential harm and psychological trauma that the spread of false information might cause to the Governor’s family,” Bundi concluded.
