FAKE NEWS ALERT: Enugu PDP guber candidate not assassinated, says aide

Dan Nwomeh, media officer to Peter Mbah, Enugu governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has debunked reports alleging the assassination of his principal.

Mbah was declared winner of the Enugu PDP governorship primary on Wednesday.

A video is being circulated on social media showing a vehicle riddled with bullets, with reports claiming that the politician was assassinated by unknown gunmen in Enugu.

However, in a statement on Sunday, Nwomeh described the information as “wicked and ill-conceived misinformation”.

He said the video being used to peddle the misinformation is from an incident that happened previously.

“We have been inundated with calls over a fake news in circulation on some social media platforms on the purported assassination of the Enugu state PDP governorship flagbearer, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah,” the statement reads.

“Our investigations indicate that the story was doctored from the video of the unfortunate gruesome assassination of one Dr. Ndubuisi (real name: Professor Samuel Ndubuisi), the director-general of the Science and Equipment Development Institute (SEDI), along the Enugu Port Harcourt expressway, two years ago.

“It is the mere coincidence of “Ndubuisi” in the two names that has been twisted by some devious and malevolent characters to spread unfounded panic and alarm amongst our genuinely concerned teeming supporters and well-wishers in Enugu State and beyond.

“We condemn this wicked, ill-conceived misinformation and urge the masterminds to play politics of moderation and sportsmanship, have the fear of God and develop respect for the sanctity of human life.”

When TheCable contacted Daniel Ndukwe, the police public relations officer in the state, he also said the information is “fake news” as no such incident happened in the state.

“I can tell you there is no such incident in Enugu. Whoever is spreading such level of misinformation they have been cautioned to stop,” he said.

Meanwhile, checks by TheCable also showed that the video looks similar to one shared on social media platforms in July 2021, when Samuel Ndubuisi, managing director of the Scientific Equipment Development Institute (SEDI), was killed by gunmen in Enugu.

SEDI — based in Enugu — is a federal government institute under the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).