JUST IN: Gov. Bello Threatens to Sue Sahara Reporters over Fake Video
By Nafisat Bello
Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has threatened to drag the owners and managers of Sahara Reporters to court over a fake video in which he was portrayed to have violently threatened enemies of his administration.
The governor also vowed to deal decisively with other fake news peddlers both within and outside the state in line with the laws of the land.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo.
According to Fanwo, the said video was published by Sahara Reporters on its verified social media handles while other outlets joined in spreading it.
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Fanwo said the Governor did not make any 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.
“While his Excellency talks tough against crimes and criminality as the Chief Security Officer of Kogi State, he did not and will 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 statement allegedly transcribed from the video and used as a headline is totally the figment of the imagination of those behind Sahara Reporters. We urge Nigerians to dismiss the report including the subtitle in the video as false, spurious, defamatory, malicious and irresponsibly reckless,” the statement read in part.
Fanwo therefore called on Sahara Reporters and other social media ‘news’ outlets that spread it to immediately withdraw the video in all it’s ramifications and apologise to the Governor within the next seven days or face criminal proceedings for defamation.
