EFCC Disowns Fake Wanted Poster Targeting Comedian Sabinus

A viral wanted poster bearing the face of popular Nigerian comedian Emmanuel Ejekwu, better known as Sabinus, has been declared fake by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The doctored poster, which carried the EFCC logo and claimed Sabinus was wanted for obtaining money by false pretence, spread quickly across social media on Thursday. It even listed a fake last known address on Victoria Island, Lagos.

The EFCC wasn’t having it. In a post on its official social media page, the commission stamped the poster “FAKE NEWS” and warned those behind it to back off.

“Clout chaser, stop this now!” the EFCC wrote.

The poster was convincing enough to fool people — it mimicked the design and format the anti-graft agency actually uses when declaring suspects wanted. That’s what makes this particularly worrying. If someone can doctor an EFCC poster this convincingly and target a public figure, the same tactic could easily be used against ordinary citizens.

Sabinus, 43, hasn’t publicly responded to the incident. The EFCC says it’s repeatedly warned the public to verify information from official sources before sharing.

This isn’t the first time fake documents have gone viral in Nigeria, and it probably won’t be the last. But the ease with which official-looking materials can be fabricated and spread should concern everyone.