Many Kogi State indigenes, under the auspices of Kogi Indigenes Collective Interest Group, have risen in defence of their Governor over what they called “unfounded and irresponsible allegation by an equally irresponsible fake news peddler whose stock-in-trade is either to blackmail for clout or cash.”
In their response to a tweet that Governor Yahaya Bello bribed election tribunal Judges to influence them against the cases of some senatorial candidates in the last elections by one Jackson Ude, who they described as a notorious fake news merchant, the indigenes threatened to drag Ude to court and called on relevant security agencies to investigate and bring “the notorious fake news peddler to book once and for all”.
According to them, Jackson Ude has turned himself to the laughing stock of the social media, having allegedly churned out many spurious lies in the past about innocent Nigerians and “is notorious for raising absolutely unfounded allegations with a view to blackmailing politically exposed persons”.
The statement, signed by the Coordinator, KOGIC, Chief Abduganiyu Yusuf, on behalf of the indigenes from across the 21 local government areas of Kogi State, accused Ude of being a hireling of failed politicians who were desperate to use all foul tactics to pursue their dubious objectives.
The statement reads, “It has just come to our notice that a notorious blackmailer on social media and fake news peddler whose stock-in-trade is either to blackmail for clout or cash has released another unfounded and irresponsible allegation.
“Jackson Ude is notorious for raising absolutely unfounded allegations with a view to blackmailing politically exposed persons because he is a hireling of failed politicians who are desperate to use all foul tactics to secure whatever they are after.
“This time politicians who might have found that they do not stand a chance at the election tribunal have decided to recruit the well-known peddler of fake news to publish a laughable fiction claiming that Governor Yahaya Bello bribed tribunal judges with N300million to compromise them.
“Jackson Ude must provide indubitable evidence of his satanic allegations or be prepared to go to jail for a very long time as we will spare no legal means to commit him to prison.
“Our intervention has become incumbent due to the fact that, in his characteristic nature, Governor Yahaya Bello may just shrug it off and overlook what this fake news criminal has done and allow him go scot-free. But we, as patriotic indigenes of this blessed state, won’t allow that to happen. We will fight to defend the integrity of our state by protecting our Governor from a social media rogue who misuses his page for criminal libel and blackmail.
“We are giving Jackson Ude an 8-day ultimatum to produce concrete and indubitable evidence of his spurious allegation or be prepared to have his day in court. Thankfully a colleague of his in the business of social media criminality just got a three-year jail sentence.
“Responsible media professionals must speak out against this stain on their profession by this man who pollutes the social media constantly with ridiculous, reckless, senseless and wanton fallacy. He should not be treated differently from criminals who kidnap for ransom.”
