Abuja: Former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, has denied ever accusing Vice President Kashim Shettima of creating Boko Haram, dismissing the circulating claims as false and politically motivated.
Sheriff clarified his position in a statement, urging the public to disregard the reports and focus on national unity and peace.
Sheriff, in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, titled “A lie taken too far: Shettima, Ali Modu Sheriff are not on a war path,” stated that the publication was false and malicious.
The former governor of Borno urged the public to disregard it.
“The publication is a complete fabrication, devoid of truth, and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, malign the person of Sen. Sheriff, and sow discord within the nation’s political landscape.
“I wish to state unequivocally that at no time did I grant any interview or engage with any journalist on the said date or on any matter remotely related to the spurious claims contained in the publication,” he said.
The Sheriff stated that the false report was not only mischievous but also a dangerous piece of fake news aimed at undermining his years of contributions to peace, national unity, and development, both in Borno State and across Nigeria.
The senator reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s security and stability, stating that he found it deeply regrettable that unscrupulous individuals and platforms would resort to peddling falsehoods to score cheap political points or garner undue attention.
“Members of the public and the media are therefore urged to disregard this concocted story in its entirety and desist from further sharing or amplifying it.
“I have instructed my legal team to take immediate steps to identify all individuals, bloggers, or media outlets responsible for the dissemination of this defamatory material.
“Should the false publication not be retracted and taken down forthwith, I will not hesitate to seek full legal redress under the law,” Sheriff said.
He expressed his commitment to upholding truth, justice, and accountability, adding that he will rigorously pursue justice to ensure that such reckless misinformation does not go unpunished.