Lawmaker Warns Misinformation Peddlers Over Fake Security Crisis Claims in Khana LGA
- Federal lawmaker Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Dekor condemned what he described as a coordinated campaign of falsehood targeting Khana LGA Chairman Thomas Bariere
- Dekor said the misinformation campaign was being driven by individuals whose criminal interests were disrupted by Bariere's crackdown on cultism and gangsterism
- The lawmaker warned that those found to have sponsored or circulated false publications would be reported to security agencies and prosecuted
A federal lawmaker representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency has issued a public warning to persons he accused of deliberately circulating false stories about a fabricated security crisis in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor, who also chairs the House Committee on Host Communities, made the statement on Wednesday, July 9, calling out what he described as an orchestrated smear campaign against the Executive Chairman of Khana LGA, Chief Hon. Thomas Bariere, PhD.
Source: Twitter
A statement cited by Legit.ng, Dekor said the false narratives were not only intended to damage Bariere's reputation but were also designed to destabilise the relative peace that had taken hold in Khana since the current local government administration came into office.
Misinformation Tied to Anti-Crime Crackdown
According to Dekor, the timing of the campaign was not coincidental. He linked it directly to Bariere's administration's firm stance against cultism, gangsterism, kidnapping and violent crime, arguing that those whose illegal interests had been disrupted were now funding propaganda to discredit the chairman.
"The persistent campaign of falsehood against the Chairman bears all the hallmarks of a desperate attempt by persons whose vested interests have been disrupted by the administration's uncompromising fight against gangsterism, cultism, criminality, and every form of social unrest in Khana," Dekor said in his statement.
He acknowledged that before Bariere assumed office, Khana communities had faced significant security challenges that disrupted livelihoods and social stability. The lawmaker credited the chairman with reversing that situation through engagement with security agencies and sustained community outreach.
Legal Action Threatened Against Sponsors of Fake News
Dekor stated that silence in the face of what he termed "calculated falsehood" would amount to complicity, and he urged residents to disregard stories aimed at sowing fear and division.
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He warned that anyone found to have sponsored, financed or coordinated the spread of malicious publications would be reported to law enforcement agencies, with prosecution to follow where evidence of criminal conduct was established.
"Every applicable law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria — including those relating to cyberstalking, cyberbullying, defamation, malicious publication of false information, incitement, conspiracy, and any other relevant offences — will be invoked to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice through due process of law," he said.
The lawmaker concluded by urging residents of Khana to remain vigilant, continue supporting the current local government administration and protect the image of their community from those he described as acting on "selfish and criminal interests."
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Previously, Legit.ng highlighted facts about the investigation launched by the House of Representatives into a ₦1.3 billion allocation for the non-existent Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The inquiry, led by Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, aims to uncover the mechanisms that allowed a fictitious agency to navigate the budget process unnoticed, raising questions about systemic vulnerabilities within the federal budgetary system.
Source: Legit.ng
