By Chimezie Godfrey
A Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Daniel Kanu, has strongly refuted allegations circulating on social media linking him to a past criminal record, describing the claims as false, malicious, and defamatory.
The rebuttal follows a publication on Facebook, which alleged that the businessman had been arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned in the early 2000s.
In a statement, Kanu categorically denied the claims, stating that he has never been arrested, charged, tried, or convicted of any criminal offence in Nigeria or elsewhere.
“At no point in my life have I been imprisoned. The allegations published are entirely false and constitute a deliberate attempt to tarnish my reputation,” he said.
He described the publication as a calculated act of defamation, adding that no moral or ideological justification could excuse the spread of falsehoods.
Addressing references to his involvement during the era of Sani Abacha, the businessman explained that his participation at the time was driven by a belief in national development initiatives such as Vision 2010.
He maintained that such historical involvement cannot be misrepresented through fabricated allegations.
The businessman further disclosed that he has petitioned the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force over the matter, citing criminal defamation, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.
According to him, authorities have acknowledged receipt of the petition and commenced investigations.
Kanu also indicated readiness to pursue both civil and criminal actions against those involved in the dissemination of the claims.
The businessman urged the public to disregard the allegations and called on bloggers and social media users to verify information before publication.