IN SHORT: Several posts on Facebook claim Okezie Ikpeazu, the former governor of Abia state in southeastern Nigeria, has been sentenced to death by hanging for stealing public funds. But the claim is false.

“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 was 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. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of the report.)

But is it true that the court has sentenced Ikpeazu to death for stealing N1 trillion (about US$679 million) in public funds? We checked.

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NigeriaClaim_False

No evidence of judge or judgment

A search of keywords from the claim turned up no evidence of such a judgment or of any judge named “Chukwuemeka Nwogu” at the Abia state high court.

The media would’ve widely reported the sentencing if it were true. But we found no reports of this from any credible news outlet.

Additionally, Nigerian laws only prescribe jail terms for fraud cases, not a death sentence.

Ikpeazu debunks the claim

The former governor reportedly described the claim as “false, mischievous, and laughable”.

“This is not news; it is laughable. No judge in Nigeria is called Justice Chukwuemeka Nwogu. The total allocation of Abia State in my eight years did not even reach ₦500 billion. So, where is the ₦1 trillion they claimed I stole coming from? When was the trial conducted?

“Even if it is true that there was fraud, is the punishment for fraud a capital offence? Let people be guided with the type of story they bring to the public,” he told journalists.

The claim that the Abia state high court has sentenced Ikpeazu to death for stealing N1 trillion in public funds is false.