By Uche Mbah
The Hiltop Mansion, Minna, of former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, Popularly known as IBB,has been playing host to a troop of visitors after an online medium published his death on Sunday. The death rumor was, however, found out to be fake news.
An obscure online medium published that the Former president had died. Many social media platforms latched on to it and circulated the news. His spokesperson, Kassim Afegbua, later put up a press release to address the issue, calling the news Fake News.
This is the third time the Retired general will be rumored dead.
After the last rumor, when he went to Germany for medical treatment, Babangida had said that he is getting used to rumors of his death. “As a Muslim it is written that every human being shall die and get sick”, he had said then.
Afegbua said in a statement: “It has become consistent fake news for quite sometime now wishing our own IBB, the one we easily refer to as “The last Don” of Nigerian politics dead.
“The fake news bill would be a suitable response to this category of fake news carriers.
“IBB is very much alive and bubbling. He just started attending to friends and associates who came to see him today, Sunday, 15th December, 2019, right here at the Hiltop Mansion. He is full of life and in his characteristic bubbling mood”, he said.
Prominent Nigerians were flocking to the Hiltop Mansion to pay homage to the great leader whom Nigerians fondly called Maradona.
First to visit him was former senate President, David Mark, who was his co traveler when he was a military President. David mark held Ministerial position under him, and was a member of the highest ruling body in the Country, the Armed Forces ruling Council. He went there with Tunde Ogbeha, another of their compatriots. Ogbeha, who was a military administrator of Kogi state, was one of those regarded as “IBB boys”.
They went into a closed door meeting with the former President, where the press were not invited.
Other prominent Nigerians were either confirming his being alive through phone calls or direct visit.
