The Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, has dismissed allegations linking Senate President Godswill Akpabio to a series of unresolved killings in Akwa Ibom State, describing the claims as baseless and malicious.
Eyiboh urged the accuser, Mrs. Patience Akpabio, the Senate President’s sister-in-law to present her evidence before a competent court rather than resorting to social media attacks.
Mrs. Akpabio had recently accused the former Akwa Ibom governor of being connected to several killings during his tenure, a claim that has sparked widespread condemnation from various groups and individuals across the state.
Reacting to the development, the Coalition of Youth Groups in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the allegations.
Speaking at a press conference, the coalition’s president, Chief Umo Assiak, described the accusations as a deliberate attempt to tarnish Akpabio’s image.
“We condemn in the strongest terms these careless statements and online publications aimed at ridiculing the Senate President.
The social media space should not be turned into a weapon of blackmail or a platform for personal grudges,” Assiak said.
He noted that while the disagreement between the Senate President and his sister-in-law may be a family matter, it was unacceptable to drag Akpabio’s name into criminal allegations without proof.
Assiak added that defamation through social media contravenes the Cybercrime Act, warning that individuals who make false or offensive claims online could face prosecution.
He further disclosed that the coalition plans to petition the Inspector-General of Police and the United States government to investigate the allegations and compel Patience Akpabio to substantiate her claims.
In his remarks, Eyiboh emphasized that allegations of murder should not be handled on social media but through lawful procedures.
“You don’t use social media to probe criminal allegations. Whoever alleges must prove, and that proof must follow due process — through a formal complaint to law enforcement, investigation, and, if necessary, prosecution in court,” he said.
Eyiboh described the accusations as irrational, stressing that insecurity during Akpabio’s tenure as governor was a national issue that affected many states, not peculiar to Akwa Ibom.