Akpabio Petitions DSS over a purported anti-North statement allegedly attributed to him and circulated on Facebook and other digital platforms.
The petition, signed by Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, urged the security agency to investigate the origin and dissemination of the disputed statement, which the Senate President described as false, inflammatory and divisive.
The graphic allegedly carried a message warning Northerners that they would suffer if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lost the election. Akpabio, however, said he did not make the statement.
According to the petition, there is no verifiable evidence linking the statement to Akpabio, including any speech, interview, audio or video recording, official statement or credible news report authenticating the claim.
The petition also alleged that the graphic had no identifiable publisher or verifiable source and appeared to have been deliberately manufactured.
Akpabio’s office said the material could mislead the public, provoke regional resentment and create the impression that the Senate President had made a threatening statement against people in Northern Nigeria.
The petition further stated that a preliminary review of publicly available Facebook records identified some of the earliest traceable accounts that shared or reproduced the graphic.
Abdullai Musa, Uzoma Chilaka and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar were named as persons whose publication activities could assist investigators in tracing the origin and distribution of the material.
However, the petition stressed that the individuals should not be presumed guilty before investigation.
Akpabio urged the DSS to examine relevant publication records, devices and communications, as well as trace the source of the graphic and establish how it was created and distributed.
He also called for the matter to be investigated in accordance with the law.
The DSS is expected to determine the origin of the disputed material and establish the circumstances surrounding its circulation.
EBN TV will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more information emerges.
Source: Channels Television