VIRAL VIDEO: ‘We Now Know Who Burnt Our Woman Leader To Death’ – PDP Reacts To Kogi Gov’s ‘Death Threat’

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to an alleged threat by Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, that anyone who stands in his way in the 2023 general elections would be “burnt” and sent to join his mother in the grave.

A viral social media video that surfaced on the internet on Wednesday purports Governor Bello as threatening to “light a fierce fire in my hand (and) whoever want it, we shall use it to burn them”.

THE WHISTLER could not independently interpret Bello’s words which were spoken in his local dialect (Ebira), but the video showed the governor addressing a crowd of supporters at an unknown location in the state.

The opposition PDP, in a statement by its spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, however, claimed that the statement attributed to Governor Bello has exposed “the individuals who engineered the gruesome killing of many of our citizens including the PDP Woman Leader in Kogi State, Mrs. Salome Abu, who was burnt alive in her house in 2019.”

The party quoted Governor Bello as saying in the video: “I will personally light a fierce fire in my hand whoever want it we shall use it to burn them, whoever survive it will thank God… Whoever is against us we will make him or her join my mother and lie with her (my mother) in grave.”

A popular online newspaper, not THE WHISTLER, also shared a translated version of the video quoting the governor as boasting about his proficiency in the use of firearms and threatening to take out whoever speaks ill of his administration.

“If I hear any rumour or hear anybody murmuring, even if it’s in the person’s room and I said I want to see the person and you cannot provide him, then be prepared to be the person’s substitute.

“That’s why I’m saying it loud and clear for everyone to hear. Not just Ihima, not just about Ebira but the whole of Kogi. Because some of those people who are prepared to do evil, may be some of them are older than me.

“You cannot hold gun more than me. For that, everyone should receive and disseminate the message. Record and play it for them that I’m ready this time around,” the newspaper quoted the governor as having said.

Kogi Government Reacts

But in a statement sent to THE WHISTLER on Wednesday, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, described the translation credited to Governor Bello as “false and defamatory” while also threatening lawsuit against the medium.

It partly reads, “…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.

“Let us quickly state that the Governor did not make any 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. 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.

“To this end, we call on Sahara Reporters to immediately withdraw the statement and apologize to the Governor and the Government of Kogi State within the next seven days. Should Sahara Reporters fail, refuse and or neglect to heed this call, we shall proceed against it both criminally and in the civil Courts.

“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 Government of Kogi State has remained most committed to the security of lives and property of its citizens and those of other Nigerians and will continue to fight against violence and criminality. Crime and thuggery have no place in Kogi State under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello.”