Former Abia Gov, Ikpeazu dismisses report of death by hanging for alleged stealing, describes it as ‘laughable’

Dr. Ikpeazu

The political scene of Abia state was earlier in the week stirred when it was reported that the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has been sentenced to death by hanging for alleged stealing a N1trillion from the state treasury.

The controversy escalated debates in Abia’s political circles, reflecting the deepening rivalry between Ikpeazu’s camp and the current administration of Alex Otti

However, Dr. Ikpeazu, dismissed the report describing it as “laughable.”

The fake story, which trended on social media, alleged that an Abia State High Court handed him the death penalty after funds were discovered in a foreign account linked to him.

Reacting during an interview with ABN TV on Tuesday, Ikpeazu described the report as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, stressing that such fabrication could only come from desperate political actors. “This is not news, it is laughable,” he said.

His former Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu, condemned the rumour as hate speech and urged security agencies, especially the DSS, to track down its sponsors.

He alleged that political opponents loyal to Governor Alex Otti were behind the smear campaign, adding that similar falsehoods had previously been circulated against Ikpeazu.

But in a swift reaction, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Otti, distanced the governor from the controversy.

Writing on his verified Facebook page, Ekeoma argued that Otti had no reason to sponsor such malicious content, describing the allegation as an attempt by Ikpeazu’s loyalists to curry favour from their principal.

“It is ridiculous to imagine that Governor Otti, who has always maintained the most decent and responsible style of opposition politics in Abia, would stoop so low to propagate such trash,” Ekeoma wrote. “What exactly would he gain from it?”