Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has categorically refuted recent viral claims suggesting the institution’s involvement in a clandestine nuclear weapons program. The university described the allegations, which surfaced in a widely circulated AI-generated video, as “baseless, misleading, and historically inaccurate.”
In an official statement released by the Director of Public Affairs, Malam Auwalu Umar, ABU clarified that the video falsely alleged that Nigerian scientists, in collaboration with ABU researchers, enriched weapons-grade uranium in the 1980s using centrifuge technology purportedly acquired from Pakistan’s AQ Khan network.
“The claims are entirely unfounded and scientifically implausible,” Umar stated. “Most of the scientists at ABU’s Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT) were still undergoing training abroad during the 1980s and could not have participated in any such activity.”
The university emphasized that its nuclear research efforts have always been aligned with Nigeria’s peaceful nuclear energy program, regulated by the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and in compliance with international treaties, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
ABU also condemned the video as a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and tarnish the reputation of one of Africa’s foremost academic and research institutions. “We urge the public to disregard this misinformation and rely on verified sources for credible information,” the statement added.