Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State has come under heavy criticism following a viral video in which he was spotted ordering his aides to slap an Islamic cleric.
The incident which took place during the Fidua prayer for the late wife of the Deputy Governor, Zainab Yakubu. has generated a oneway reaction, with critics asking why the first citizen of the state would ask his aide to slap the cleric. Others have also tagged it an abuse of the fundamental human right of the cleric.
In the viral video, the governor could be heard saying “Slap him, very well. I said slap him. Go and arrest him. Deal with him well-well”.
He thereafter he uttered a Hausa idiomatic expression which was interpreted as “I have power.”
The cleric, who knelt was subsequently dragged away from the gathering by one of the security operatives suspected to be an officer of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement released on Tuesday, the governor’s Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, clarified that the man in question was an impostor attempting to impersonate an Imam.
Wakaso stated that the man had apologized to both the governor and the forum of Imams for his behavior and confirmed that he was neither slapped nor arrested.
“The attention of the Niger State Government has been drawn to an editorial in the Daily Trust Newspaper of 15th July 2024, titled ‘Bago: Let Temperance Reign.’
“This editorial, along with other reports, misrepresented the incident that took place during the three-day Fidua Prayers for the late wife of the Deputy Governor, Hajiya Zainab Garba,”
“The governor ordered security agents to remove an individual who attempted to take over the spiritual duties of the Imams gathered at the Deputy Governor’s residence. The editorial also contained fictitious claims.”
Wakaso explained that the state government had initially chosen not to engage in the controversy due to the mourning period. However, they felt compelled to correct the misconceptions about the governor’s actions.
“The governor considers the three-day Fidua Prayers as a very sensitive and important event that should be presided over by an Imam or a renowned Islamic scholar, not by an unqualified individual.
“The governor’s decision to ask the individual to leave the venue was based on maintaining the sanctity and solemnity of the occasion. The individual’s actions were disrespectful to the deceased and the reason for the gathering, leading the governor to request his removal by security agents.”
He criticized the continued attacks on Governor Bago’s character by some media outlets, calling them unfortunate and uncalled for. She defended the governor’s actions as necessary to prevent the Fidua prayer from being disrupted.
Wakaso further disclosed that the fake cleric had been a supporter of the governor, who had attempted to empower him several times. His overzealous behavior was an attempt to gain the governor’s attention.
She said he has shown remorse and requested forgiveness from both the governor and the forum of Imams. The governor’s actions were driven by respect for the deceased, the purpose of the gathering, and the need to preserve the sanctity of the Fidua Prayer.
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