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Reports making the round on social media and some news platforms claimed that Umara Zulum, the son of Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has been arrested in India.
According to the reports, Umara, a student at a university in New Delhi, was arrested by the Indian authorities over the alleged killing of a Chinese man during a fight over a woman at a nightclub.
He reportedly smashed a bottle of alcoholic drink on the head of the unnamed Chinese man after the latter showed interest in the same lady as the former.
The incident purportedly happened a fortnight ago - a period that allegedly coincided with the time Governor Zulum and his colleagues from Adamawa and Yobe States, Ahmadu Fintiri and Mai Mala Buni, respectively, were attending an insurgency workshop in Pakistan.
"Make no mistake, Governor Zulum’s son is the Nigerian governor's son you heard about who killed someone in India.
"What happened was that the boy engaged a Chinese national in a fight over a lady at a nightclub in India and Zulum's son smashed a bottle on his head and it led to his death," Sahara Reporters quoted a family source.
The source also claimed that the Governor, who was billed to travel to the United States after the Pakistan workshop, had to jet to India upon receiving the news of his son's alleged crime.
Zulum reportedly made frantic efforts in India to resolve the matter with the deceased's parents who were open to an out-of-court settlement but the uncompromising Indian authorities insisted that the crime was against the state.
"He returned home to Nigeria to garner support and was able to enlist the current agriculture minister, Abubakar Kyari; together, they tried to convince the Indian embassy to wade into the matter but to no avail.
"Based on the information available to us, his son is currently in detention and would be prosecuted in due course," the family source added.
Borno govt debunks reports
However, reacting to the reports, the Borno State Governor's Media Unit described the news as "misinformation" and "defamatory content."
This is according to a statement signed by Abdurrahman Ahmed Bundi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media and issued on the evening of Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
“Attention of the Borno State Governor’s Media Unit has been drawn to rumours circulating that the son of the Borno State Governor has been arrested for the alleged murder of some Indian citizens.
“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 ASUWAN 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 warned Nairaland and all those who have spread the false information to pull down this misinformation from its 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 son was either arrested or charged with any crime, or involved in any unlawful activities anywhere.
“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 organisations to engage in responsible journalism of truth and factual verification while recognising the potential harm and psychological trauma the spread of false information might have caused to the Governor’s family,” the statement concluded.