DSS, police urged to investigate and prosecute alleged fake news peddlers targeting Benjamin Kalu

DSS, police urged to investigate and prosecute alleged fake news peddlers targeting Benjamin Kalu

The Save Nigeria Movement (SNM) and the Federation of Freelance Journalists (FJF) have called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to identify and prosecute persons allegedly responsible for spreading false information against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.

At a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, the groups said recent allegations circulating against the vice president were part of a coordinated attempt by opposition elements to undermine his growing political profile.

Speaking through its conveners, Solomon Semeka and Ibrahim Akawe Joseph, the coalition said some faceless groups posing as activists had spread what they described as baseless allegations regarding Kalu’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Nigerian Law School documents.

According to the groups, the claim that the vice president illegally combined his NYSC program with his law school education is “entirely fictitious” and a recycled accusation aimed at damaging his reputation.

“We wish to remind the public that a petition on this same matter was previously submitted to the Legal Professionals Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). After thorough consideration, the LPDC rejected the petition for lack of merit, effectively putting the matter to rest,” the groups said.

They added that both organizations conducted independent checks into the allegations and found no evidence to support the claims.

“Our findings confirm that the Vice President has complied with all statutory requirements of the Nigerian legal profession and the NYSC programme. There is no documentary or factual evidence to support the allegations spread by his detractors,” they said.

The groups further alleged that the smear campaign was politically motivated and linked to the build-up to the 2027 governorship elections in Abia State.

“It has become increasingly clear that this smear campaign is driven by fear ahead of the 2027 Abia State governorship contest. Some politicians appear threatened by the growing popularity of the Vice President and his support for the President’s Renewed Hope agenda. Unable to match his legislative performance and political influence, they have resorted to reputation assassination,” they said.

They also said that their organizations were contacted by the sponsors of the alleged smear campaign but declined to participate.

“To set the record straight, our organization was approached about two weeks ago by some of these sponsors to conduct the smear campaign. We flatly refused. As organizations committed to national development, we refuse to participate in the blackmail of a public servant who was recently recognized with the Best Legislator Award,” they added.

The coalition said it was compiling a dossier on what it described as fake civil society organizations and their alleged sponsors, which will be submitted to security agencies for investigation.

“We are already gathering evidence on these fake civil society organizations and their political sponsors. This dossier will soon be submitted to relevant security agencies to ensure that those behind these malicious acts are exposed and held accountable,” they said.

The groups argued that credible civil society organizations across the country continue to support the vice president and urged the public to ignore further attempts to revive the accusations.

“These narratives and staged protests are the work of political merchants hired to distract a public servant who remains committed to nation-building,” the coalition said.

They therefore urged the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring those responsible to justice.

“This is a deliberate attempt to defame a high-ranking public official and incite public distrust. We are formally petitioning the relevant security agencies to ensure that those responsible face the full weight of the law,” they said.

They added that Benjamin Kalu remains a key figure in the 10th National Assembly, urging Nigerians to ignore what they described as malicious narratives aimed at damaging his reputation ahead of political contests in Abia State.