The Niger State Government has dismissed reports claiming that it has prohibited the sale of alcohol in nine Local Government Areas of the state. The state government issued a statement stating that the report, which circulated on various blogs, is false.
The governor, Mr. Umar Bago, has directed security agents to arrest the self-appointed Secretary of the state’s Liquor and Licencing Board, Mohammed Ibrahim, to understand the motives behind the imposter and the reasons for the pronouncement.
The statement clarified that Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, who is focused on initiating and overseeing people-centered projects, never issued such a directive. The Liquor and Licensing Board is yet to be constituted by the governor, and thus, no directive of this kind can come from a board that is yet to be formed.
The government urged the public to ignore such pronouncements and advised them to seek clarification from known government officials authorised to speak for the state.