The party, in a statement, said the aim of the rumour was to incite youths against humanitarian workers with intent destabilising the fragile peace in parts of the state.
While accusing a close associate of Sheriff of posting the rumour on his Facebook wall, the APC called on security agencies to invite the man for investigation and prosecution.
The statement signed by APC’s Publicity Secretary, Makinta Zarami, reads, “The APC in Borno State is worried that since former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff lost his case at the Supreme Court over the Chairmanship of the PDP, his loyalists have redirected their mischief to spread different rumours with the most dangerous, being that of today (yesterday).
“We were shocked that a known associate and one of the spokespersons of Sheriff’s group (name withheld), pasted on his Facebook wall, claiming that Abubakar Shekau was arrested by the Nigerian Military at a facility rented by agencies of the United Nations in a house belonging to late Governor Mala Kachalla.
“The same person claimed that abducted lecturers of University of Maiduguri were rescued. Immediately after he pasted that, some loyalists of the former Governor began to share the information through different social media platforms.
“First, it was to incite youths in Maiduguri against hundreds of humanitarian workers in order to destabilize Borno State, just to create a political atmosphere of failure on the part of the APC-led government in Borno.
“Secondly, the rumour was to link Boko Haram with the late Mala Kachalla who was a known political opponent of Sheriff, so as to cleverly distance Sheriff from issues relating to Boko Haram.”
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