The Kano State Police Command on Friday said the elderly man in a viral video who claimed to be the biological father of Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Barau I. Jibrin, was paid N1,000 to stage the act.
According to the police, the video which showed the frail and unkempt man alleging neglect by the senator was deliberately circulated on social media to mislead the public.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa in a video he shared on his verified Facebook page, noted that the emotional portrayal was allegedly staged with the criminal intent to defame the Deputy President of the Senate.
He disclosed that the Command has arrested a young man suspected of arranging the video who allegedly hired the elderly man to falsely present himself as Senator Barau’s biological father as part of an attempt to tarnish the lawmaker’s reputation.
The elderly man, according to the police admitted during interrogation that he was given N1,000 to participate in the production and make the claims contained in the video.
He said the suspects had regretted their actions during interrogation but warned that the Command would not treat the matter lightly.
He said the police would punish those responsible for the act, stressing that the action was necessary to deter others from using social media to spread content capable of damaging another person’s reputation.
Kiyawa said investigation was still ongoing and assured that the suspects would be taken before a court once the process was concluded.
The Command also cautioned members of the public against believing or circulating sensational social media content without first establishing its authenticity.
