Femi Owolabi, an investigative journalist, wrongly linked to the murder of Gbenga Owolabi, a US-based hotelier in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has raised the alarm over an attempt to soil his image.

The hotelier was abducted alongside Racheal Opadele, one of his workers who was a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).

Opadele sought temporary employment at the hotel because of the Academic Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

The duo was killed after a N5 million ransom.

Meanwhile, at the weekend, a post started circulating that one Femi Owolabi, said to be a younger brother of the deceased, has been arrested in connection with the incident.

“Police arrested immediate younger brother of Late Gbenga Owolabi, an hotelier in Ogbomoso, who was killed by the kidnappers alongside Lautech student, Racheal. He was arrested with some Fulani herdsmen. But the suspect, Femi Owolabi blamed the devil over what happened in his confessional statement made to the Police. Wonders shall never end! Is this not a wicked world?” the statement added.

The family of the deceased had denied the post, saying they had no relation who bears Femi Owolabi.

However, some persons kept circulating the false post on social media and even attached the picture of the investigative journalist who works with TheCable, Nigeria’s leading online newspaper.

In his reaction, the journalist said, “In the last 24 hours, I have received calls and messages— drawing my attention to a report making the rounds about the confession of a certain Femi Owolabi who allegedly killed his elder brother.

“From the report, Femi Owolabi was paraded by the Oyo state police command and had confessed to killing his brother, an action he now blamed on the devil. The said elder brother, Gbenga Owolabi, was based in the US and had come to Nigeria where he was reportedly kidnapped and subsequently murdered by his abductors in Oyo state.

“I like to inform the public that the Femi Owolabi here is NOT me. The public should also note that a picture of me attached to a viral report of the incident is a regrettable and negligent mix-up, and should be totally ignored. I have already commenced action to address it. I must state unequivocally that, not only am I not the Femi Owolabi in question, I am also in no way related to the family of the slain Gbenga Owolabi.” He stated. (Daily Trust)

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