A former member of the House of Representatives and Commissioner at the Code of Conduct Bureau, Hon. Johnson E. Agbonayinma, has stated as false reports that former Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, who died earlier in the week, was poisoned.

Mr. Ehizuwa Agbonayinma, who represented Ikpoba/Okha Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives, in a press statement on Thursday, said he is a close friend of the late police chief’s family.

He said that the stories of food poisoning being circulated “are false, malicious, and completely unfounded. There was no food poisoning. The claim that he reacted to a meal is pure fabrication“.

Stressing the need to “set the record straight on the unfortunate passing of our dear big brother and illustrious son of Benin Kingdom”, the All Progressives Congress, APC Chieftain said that “equally false is the mischievous mention of ‘Mrs. Igbe, CEO of VESA FOODS, wife of the Iyase of Benin, and a transgender granddaughter’s wedding’”, in the stories being peddled.

According to him: “There is no truth whatsoever in such statements. These are the handiwork of unscrupulous elements trying to distract from the dignified memory of a man who gave so much in service to his country.

“Yes, Dr. Arase traveled to Morocco with his wife, family, and friends, but the details of his passing remain the responsibility of the family to communicate officially through the press at the right time.

“I therefore appeal to the general public: let us allow the dead to rest in peace. The family is in grief and deserves our support, not the spread of fake stories about the cause of his death.

“Dr. Solomon Arase was a patriot, a father, and a statesman who served Nigeria meritoriously. Let us honor him with dignity and respect. He died as a legend and a hero to be remembered.

“Let it be on record that the entire narration of food poisoning is false, malicious, and misleading and should be disregarded. In fact, the claims are fabricated without any basis by enemies of progress in our society.

“This type of misinformation is intended to cause unnecessary panic, confusion, and emotional distress to families, friends, and the public, and it should be disregarded.

“We encourage members of the public to always verify information from credible and official sources before sharing so as not to fall victim to the deliberate spread of fake news.” (Vanguard)

Update news