Kogi govt debunks news of Gov. Bello’s threats to deal with murmurers »

Kogi State Government has debunked a publication by Sahara Reporters and circulated on social media space that governor Bello threatened to deal with does murmuring about’ his ‘administration’.

In a press statement on Wednesday signed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, he stated that such news is not only false and malicious but totally the figment of the imagination of Sahara Reporters and it’s publishers.

The statement reads “Our attention has been drawn to a false and defamatory statement credited to the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alh. Yahaya Bello in which he was falsely and maliciously quoted to have threatened anyone ‘murmuring about’ his ‘administration’ as a news item purportedly transcribed from a video also published by Sahara Reporters on its verified social handles on Tuesday September 6, 2022. Other social media ‘news’ outlets have since joined in publishing this fake story.

“While such fake publications are now customary of Sahara Reporters and would not ordinarily require a response, it is important that it is on record that the false statement is unequivocally denied, yet again, particularly for the sake of those who still harbour any iota of belief that Sahara Reporters and its owners and handlers possess any iota of credibility”.

He mentioned that the Governor did not make such statement about his proficiency in the use of firearms or threaten to use same against those who murmur against his administration in the video under reference or anywhere else, stressing that while gov. Bello talks tough against crimes and criminality as the chief security officer of Kogi State.

Governor Bello did not engage in personal threat of violence against anyone. He is also neither a security agent with training in firearms handling nor a mugger, the commissioner added, urging Nigerians to dismiss the report including the subtitle in the video as false, spurious, defamatory, malicious and irresponsibly reckless.

The State government calles on Sahara Reporters to immediately withdraw the statement and apologize to the Governor and the Government of Kogi State within the next seven days, stating that failure or refusal to do so , the KGSG would take legal actions in both criminally and in the civil Courts.

He added “We also call on other social media ‘news’ outlets that have on their platforms also published this fake story to forthwith withdraw same and apologize as they are as equally as liable and or culpable as Sahara Reporters which originally published same”.

The commissioner reiterated that the Government of Kogi State has remained most committed to the security of lives and property of its citizens and those of other Nigerians and would continue to fight against violence and criminality.

While as a Government, we continue to respect the media and promote the freedom of the people to be informed, we totally abhor injurious falsehood capable of causing a breakdown of law and order. While our partnership with the media as partners in progress is unimpeachable and glaring for all to see, we call on the media not to set the nation ablaze with irresponsible and false reports to incite the public to civil disturbances, mr. Fanwo stated.