The Plateau State Government has announced that it is investigating claims made by one Jonathan Yakubu Madaki, a youth and social media influencer for an opposition political party. Mr Madaki, who currently resides in the FCT Abuja, had claimed that there are palliatives stored at the homes of the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Communication; the Secretary to the Government of the State; and at the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, and urged looters and vandals to storm those places and cause mayhem. He posted: “Next palliatives to check is at Commissioner of Information house, SGS, and Speaker house at Lamingo. Please move there now.”

Madaki gave this inciting advice on a political platform on Facebook, a group by the name “Movement for the Protection of Plateau Heritage”, MOPPLAH. The post by Madaki raised a lot of eyebrows especially at a time like this that all States within Nigeria are struggling to contain criminal elements masquerading as endSARS protesters to cause confusion and carry out criminal activities. Plateau State itself has experienced massive and indiscriminate looting of both the State and Federal Government’s properties.

The youth, whose status of employment is yet not known, is a bitter critic of the ruling political party and a consistent thread of trolling and fake news litters his Facebook timeline. The link to his Facebook profile is as follows: https://www.facebook.com/nyambifezom.shere

The Plateau State Government through a press release, declared that the claims are already being investigated and that the situation is being monitored to ensure the security of the targeted officials and their families.

The Government promised that after investigation, the social media user will be brought to justice if found to have broken the law and culpable for inciting violence and constituting threats to lives. Below is the press statement by the Plateau State Government.

PRESS RELEASE

PALLIATIVES: MISCHIEF/BLACKMAIL & THREAT TO LIFE BY ONE JONATHAN YAKUBU MADAKI TARGETED AT PLATEAU GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

It has come to the knowledge of the Plateau State Government about news making the rounds in the social media particularly Facebook and posted on the site of Movement for the Protection of Plateau Heritage (MOPPLAH) by one Jonathan Yakubu Madaki that palliatives are being hoarded by the Honorable Commissioner of Information and Communication, Secretary to the Government of the State and at the Speaker of the State House of Assembly at his home in Lamingo, urging LOOTERS AND VANDALS to move there.

The post by the said Jonathan Yakubu Madaki WRITTEN ON 26TH OCOTBER 2020 STATED THUS: “Next palliatives to check is at Commissioner of Information house, SGS, and Speaker house at Lamingo. Please move there now.”

In as much as Government does not want to hold brief for the persons so mentioned by Jonathan Yakubu Madaki, IT HAS BECOME IMPARATIVE to warn that Mr. Madaki SHOULD PREPARE TO PROVE HIS ALLEGATIONS and be ready to bear the consequences of his MISCHIEF AND MOBILIZATION OF LOOTING should investigation prove to the contrary.

Furthermore, the public is hereby warned to desist from spreading falsehood with the aim of causing harm to one another.

Government hereby also advises the admins of Social Media platforms & groups to screen and VERIFY WHATEVER their members post on their sites to avoid being caught in the web of COLLATARAL DAMAGE in an event that such posts turn out to be false and LEAD TO UNDESIRABLE CONSEQUENCES.

Therefore, Jonathan Yakubu Madaki is hereby warned that he should be ready to bear the consequences of his post AS SECURITY AGENCIES ARE ALREADY INVESTIGATING HIS CLAIM AND FOLLOWING UP ON HIS MOBILIZATION OF LOOTERS TO ATTACK THE HOMES OF THESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

HE SHOULD ALSO TAKE INTO COGNISANCE THAT HE WILL BE PERSONALLY HELD LIABLE FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO THE RT. HON. SPEAKER, SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE, AND THE HON, COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION AND THEIR FAMILIES.

The public is hereby advised not to take the laws in their hand by invading the premises of the personalities so mentioned AS THEIR HOUSES ARE NEITHER WAREHOUSES NOR STORAGE HOUSES.

HOWEVER, THEY ARE FREE TO USE ANY civilized and legitimate means of INVESTIGATING THE CLAIM instead of taking the laws into their hands.

Dan Manjang,
Honourable Commissioner,
Information and Communication,
Plateau State.
27th October, 2020

Source: Plateau State Government