My son not held in custody in India for murder – Zulum

By Kunle Sanni

The Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has addressed rumors claiming that his son has been arrested for the alleged murder of a citizen in India.

This clarification was issued in a signed statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Abdurrahman Bundi, in response to circulating rumors. The governor’s media unit stated that the report is false and far from the truth.

Governor Zulum emphasized that his son is not currently held in custody in India over any alleged murder.

“This misinformation was published in an online blog, Nairaland, titled ‘Son of Borno State Governor Murders Someone in India—Politics.’ The blog claimed that the Governor also travelled to India, attempting to use diplomatic status to resolve the matter.

“It is on record that Governor Babagana Zulum was on a one-month vacation in Saudi Arabia for the 2024 Hajj and later travelled to Egypt to attend the annual ASWAN Forum conference in Cairo.

“The Media Unit would like to clarify and set the record straight that Nairaland and other online blogs have mischievously spread defamatory content without any speck of truth.

“We hereby warn Nairaland and all those who have spread the false information to pull down this misinformation from their website and platforms within the next 24 hours and offer an unreserved apology to Governor Zulum, his son, and the entire family, or risk legal action. The Governor shall also not hesitate to take legal action against any media outlet that continues to publicise this defamatory information on its platform.

“We would like to inform the public that none of Governor Zulum’s sons was either arrested or charged with any crime or involved in any unlawful activities anywhere.

Zulum also urged the public to exercise caution when consuming and sharing information. He called on media organizations to engage in factual and responsible journalism.

“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 of truth and factual verification while recognizing the potential harm and psychological trauma the spread of false information might have caused to the Governor’s family.”