The claim that former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has been sentenced to death has now been fact-checked
A post on Facebook and X, and it has been shared by several people on their platforms has claimed that Okezie Ikpeazu, has been handed a death sentence over the allegation of the diversion of public funds worth N1 trillion.
Ikpeazu was the governor of Abia state between 2015 and 2023 and lost his senatorial election in the 2023 general election to Labour Party.
The social media post claimed that investigators traced the funds to the former governor’s foreign account in Australia. Also, it is alleged that the money was originally meant for the construction of Abia International Airport and the light rail project in the state.
According to the post, one “Justice Chukwuemeka Nwogu” handed the judgment to the former governor, and he was alleged to have said that the available evidence against Ikpeazu was “overwhelming”, considering the action as a strong betrayal that required “the highest penalty.”
The post further claimed that the former governor has been under heavy security and that efforts are underway to recover the funds allegedly stolen. The claim has been widely circulated on social media platforms, including Facebook and X.
However, in a report by The Cable, section 98 of the Criminal Code Act was reviewed, and it was discovered that though corruption by public office holders attracts imprisonment, capital punishment is not prescribed in the Nigerian constitution.
Also, further research on the website of the Abia State Judiciary did not have the record of any Justice Chukwuemeka Nwogu on the bench.
In addition, the conviction was never reported by any credible media. Considering the profile of Ikpeazu as a former governor, such a ruling would have been widely reported in local and international media.
Also, the former commissioner for trade and investment in Abia during Ikpeazu’s administration, John Kalu, was contacted on the report, and he dismissed the claim. He maintained that the former governor did not have any criminal records anywhere in the world.
Ikpeazu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, was the governor of Abia state between 2015 and 2023. He lost his senatorial election in the 2023 election and lost the state to the Labour Party in the 2023 election.
He has been seen at some political events since leaving office, and there are indications of him working to contest in the 2027 election.
PDP demands accountability from Abia governor.
