Reporter Gets Into Trouble Over N400 Billion Tinubu Allegation

• The blazing story of a raid on Bola Tinubu’s home by the EFCC has been called into question by the All Progressives Congress.

• The party wants the reporter arrested for publishing what they consider to be fake news.

• According to Onanuga, Director of PCC Media and publicity, there was no basis for the where and when in the story.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the All Progressives Congress Campaign Council (APC) has demanded the arrest of an online publisher who circulated a false claim that N400 billion was recovered during a raid on the home of the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

The campaign council has debunked the claim and called for an investigation into the owners of the “rogue website” that circulated the fake news.

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The claim, which was reported on an online platform, alleged that Tinubu had forfeited N400 billion old naira notes to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after a raid on one of his underground homes.

The news quickly gained traction on social media before the EFCC denied carrying out any raid on the former Lagos State governor’s residence.

In a tweet via its Twitter handle, the spokesperson for the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, urged Nigerians to disregard the reports as fake news.

The Director of PCC Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, also released a statement, noting that the campaign council had discovered that the “rogue website” was set up to disseminate false and malicious information against its principal.

Onanuga criticized the story, which he said lacked the essential elements of “when, where, and how” that make up the ingredients of any news story. He also urged the authorities to fish out the people behind the site that is recklessly dishing out fake news before more damage is done to the polity.

The dubious website claimed that investigations were ongoing as to which bank manager made such money available to Tinubu. It then admitted its own absurdity when it wrote that “the money recovered in Tinubu’s underground house” is equivalent to “the entire money printed for the whole Nigeria” by the CBN.

The site, which appears to have links with the Labour Party on Twitter and Facebook, also claimed that President Muhammadu had ordered the arrest of the bank manager that made the phantom money available to the APC candidate.

The campaign council applauded the EFCC for promptly dissociating itself from the fake story by issuing a formal statement on the purported raid by its men. However, it warned Nigerians to be wary of every piece of news emanating from the site and its social media handles.

The council also urged security agencies in the country to go after the owners of the “rogue website” and prevent further dissemination of false information that could damage the country’s polity.

“We urge the authorities to fish out the people behind the site that is recklessly dishing out fake news before more damage is done to our polity. We want to warn Nigerians to be wary of every piece of news emanating from the site, and its social media handles,” Onanuga says.

“There will be many of such sites as some candidates become desperate to win at all costs, in fulfillment of some rogue and rigged opinion polls, shunning all decent norms and rules.

“The dubious website, in its fake story, claimed investigations are still ongoing as to which bank manager made such money available to Tinubu, it then admitted its own absurdity when it wrote that ‘the money recovered in Tinubu’s underground house’ is equivalent of ‘the entire money printed for the whole Nigeria’ by the CBN.

“So, if Tinubu alone has all the money printed by Godwin Emefiele’s CBN, how do you account for the billions distributed by the apex bank to all the banks, including operators of PoS? The site, which, on Twitter and Facebook, appears to have links with the Labour Party, went further, in another post, to claim that President Muhammadu had ordered the arrest of the bank manager that made the phantom money available to the APC candidate.”

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With the All Progressives Congress rising to take actions on the report, this calls to question the integrity of the platform. It remains to be seen what the fall-out will lead to, and if the publication will rise to defend itself.

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