The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has disowned two letters making the rounds among social media users in Nigeria on the alleged activities of presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.
The agency said the two letters were forgeries.
The first letter surfaced on Twitter in late January and is a purported reply to an enquiry to the agency on the alleged activities of Mr Tinubu.
Social embed from twitter
Breaking News:
— OMO ILA ORANGUN (@lanreisrael) January 24, 2023
More trouble for Tinubu as the UK National Crime Agency begins investigating a case of money laundering by Alpha Beta through British banks to suspected drug dealers in Columbia. pic.twitter.com/iJ99e3c5tq
It was viewed hundreds of thousands of times by Twitter users in the country.
The NCA told the BBC that it had denied the letter when it was drawn to their attention.
The second letter appeared to “challenge” the first letter.
It suggested that the NCA was threatening to take legal action against a rival presidential campaign team, which it claimed, forged the first letter.
— Rotarian Akobi Tolulope (@AKOBI22) February 1, 2023
BREAKING
The UK National Crime Agency Has Denied Investigating Asiwaju Tinubu Of Crimes , Denies Labour Party's Appeals. pic.twitter.com/5T3spTbwMX
The NCA has confirmed to the BBC that the second letter did not come from them.
The NCA is a law enforcement agency in the UK that focuses on local and international cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, organised crime, economic crime and weapons trafficking.
A recent investigation by the BBC disinformation unit found that political parties and campaigns in Nigeria were using social media influencers to spread disinformation to discredit their political rivals.
Nigerians will go to the polls on 25 February to elect a new president.
