By Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu
The Yobe State Government has strongly condemned a report published by Punch newspaper alleging mass killings in Mafa village, Tarmuwa Local Government Area, describing it as “false, baseless, and misleading.”
In a statement on Thursday, Mamman Mohammed, Director-General of Press and Media Affairs to Governor Mai Mala Buni, said the publication credited to one Ahmed Kagana Amshi was not only untrue but also a gross disservice to journalism.
“For the records, Mafa village in Tarmuwa Local Government, and Yobe State generally, has remained peaceful, with residents going about their legitimate businesses,” the statement clarified.
Authorities, including the Yobe State Police Command, the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Affairs, and the Chairman of Tarmuwa Local Government, have all dismissed the report, insisting that no such attack or burial ever took place.
The government, therefore, demanded a full retraction of the story and a public apology to the people of Yobe, particularly the Mafa community, who were left traumatized by the claims.
“It is unfortunate that a newspaper like Punch would allow its reporter to mislead Nigerians and the world with such an unwarranted publication. The image of the paper has been put to test before the public,” the statement added.
The Yobe Government advised the public to disregard the report in its entirety, stressing that it had no iota of truth.
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