Those behind fresh Buhari death rumours want to create panic –Presidency

Following fresh rumours that President Muhammadu Buhari is now on life support or may even be dead, the Presidency has called on Nigerians not to panic and described the rumours as plain lies.

The President’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a series of tweets, told Nigerians to disregard the rumours in totality because it “is plain lies spread by vested interests to create panic.”

Social media has been awash with different rumour about Buhari’s health. While one of the rumours claimed that President Buhari is now on life support in London where he has gone to receive medical treatment, another said the president may even have died.

But in a swift reaction, Shehu rebuffed the rumours and insisted that nothing unpleasant has happened to the president.

He said, “Baseless rumours are trending again that an unpleasant thing has happened to our beloved President, Muhammadu Buhari. If you have received this information on WhatsApp or Facebook, disregard it because it is plain lies spread by vested interests to create panic.

“Nothing unpleasant has happened to the President. No cause for apprehension. Thanks for the many calls.”

One of the rumours making round states, and credited to a prominent foreign media states: “Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari finally goes home; body to be flown back to Abuja tomorrow

“Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been confirmed dead in London where he was receiving medical treatment.

Read also: BUHARI’S HEALTH: No cause for alarm, Presidency insists

“President Buhari flew to London from Abuja last Sunday for follow-up medical consultations with his doctors where he unfortunately died. He had been to London twice since last year for the same medical reason.

“Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to be sworn into office as the substantive president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Government is yet to issue an official statement on the president’s demise. He was 74 years”.

Checks by Ripples Nigeria showed that the website bearing the news is a clone of the foreign news site, and a fake.

Different rumours over President Buhari’s health including his death dominated social media and national discuss the last time he spent 49 days in London on medical vacation. They turned out to be lies.

 

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