“Ex-Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu To Die By Hanging For Stealing Public Funds,” reads the headline of a post circulating on Facebook in Nigeria.
Okezie Ikpeazu served as the governor of Abia state in Nigeria’s south-east geopolitical zone from 2015 to 2023.
Part of the post reads: In a landmark ruling that has stunned the nation, the Abia State High Court has sentenced former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to death by hanging after investigators traced ₦1 trillion to his secret foreign account in Australia.
The money, according to court documents, was originally earmarked for the ambitious Abia International Airport project and a light rail system that promised to change the face of the state. Instead, prosecutors revealed it was siphoned off and hidden abroad … Security agencies confirmed that Ikpeazu has been placed under heavy guard as arrangements for the execution move forward. Efforts are also underway to repatriate the stolen funds.
According to the post, this verdict was handed down by “Justice Chukwuemeka Nwogu”.
The same claim also appeared here, here, here and in a public Facebook group with over 187,200 members.
But is it true that the court has sentenced Ikpeazu to death for stealing N1 trillion (about US$679 million) in public funds?
No evidence of judge or judgment
A keyword search for the claim revealed no evidence of such a judgment or of any judge named “Chukwuemeka Nwogu” serving at the Abia state high court.
Furthermore, no credible news outlet reported the sentencing, which they would have done if the claim were true.
This lack of media coverage, combined with the fact that Nigerian laws only “prescribe jail terms for fraud cases, not a death sentence,” confirms the claim is false.
The claim that the Abia state high court has sentenced Ikpeazu to death for stealing N1 trillion in public funds is false.
The same claim was found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Credit: Africa Check
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