Gombe state government on Monday clarified that Yakubu Halliru, a staff of Radio Nigeria Jewel FM, was never arrested as alleged, adding that only Malam Ahmed Mandi, a member of the state NNPP , who was a guest on Haliru’s programme was invited for questioning by the police.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned the state Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) , Muhammad Kabir Makko, had claimed that the state government ordered the arrest of Haliru and Malam Ahmed Mandi after the programme.
He condemned the idea of having such a project at a time the citizens are wallowing in poverty and are complaining about lack of people-oriented and visible developmental projects by the Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya administration.
Ahmed Shuaibu Gara, , who is Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s Special Adviser on Information Management and Strategy, in a statement said the state government only lodged complaints against the radio guest after making unfounded allegations.
‘Gombe State government did not order the arrest of any journalist. What we know is that the government complained to the police, which is our right to do so. We have monitored a radio programme where a guest was invited to a political programme.
During the programme, the guest alleged that we spent over N4 billion on perimeter fence project of the Gombe Government House. We presented our records of the entire state budget for maintenance of all public buildings between 2019 and 2022 to the police.
So, under the principle of fair hearing, we wanted the police to help us ask him for his own evidence’ the statement said.
Gara advised anyone who may wish to get any information about government activities to follow due process, adding that ‘the government is ever willing to do so in line with the Freedom of Information (FOI) policy’- Team@orientactualmags.com
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