By Yemi Monday
Bauchi State Police Command has declared that news making rounds alleging that the house of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bauchi was under attack by hoodlums was fabricated and false.
The Command stated that its attention was drawn to a viral video making rounds in sections of the media purporting that the residence of the chairman of INEC was attacked in Bauchi by some “angry Nigerians.”
The Command PPRO, SP Ahmed Wakili in a statement on Saturday stated: “We wish to clarify that such an incident never occurred in the state as the report is fake and should be disregarded by Nigerians.
“Being mindful of the negative impacts of disinformation on public peace, and security, particularly during the post-election period, the Commissioner of Police, CP Aminu Alhassan has immediately ordered a discreet investigation to unravel the origin of the viral video and to bring anyone found behind the fabrication of the video to face the wrath of the law.”
According to him, “for the sake of emphasis, the Command wishes to unequivocally state that there was no attack of any nature on the residence of the INEC Chairman and in Bauchi in general.”
However, members of the public are enjoined not to panic and the viral video should be disregarded in its entirety.
Meanwhile, “the Command has warned and urged members of the public, especially Rumor Mongers and Social media users to jettison such habit of either fabricating or feasting on fake news and eschew such unprofessional conduct of journalism and society at large.
“Members of the public are also urged to familiarize themselves with the provision of the law and be aware of the penalties for violating them most especially cybercrime laws with the new trends in the digital media space.”
Recall that a viral video had gone round Saturday morning showing miscreants invaded a yet to be identified residence vandalizing it for reasons not yet known.
The social media had rumoured that the said building belongs to the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, a claim his family has debunked, describing it as malicious and calculated attempt to smear his good image.
