Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State is facing backlash for allegedly instructing his security aides to slap an Islamic cleric during a public event.
A video obtained by Sunday PUNCH captures Bago telling his aide, “Slap him, very well. I said slap him. Go and arrest him. Deal with him well-well,” followed by a Hausa idiom meaning “I have power.”
The cleric, who was kneeling, was forcibly removed by a security operative believed to be from the Department of State Services. The governor’s command prompted laughter and giggles from the audience.
The cleric’s exact offense is unclear, but sources suggest he attempted to deliver the closing prayer, which the governor opposed.
The incident has ignited a wave of criticism on social media. Popular skit maker Debo Adedayo, also known as Mr. Macaroni, expressed his outrage: “A governor who has sworn to serve the people is ordering a security agent to assault the same citizen he swore to serve. See the security agent too, flexing muscles on a man already on his knees. Continue pushing the people until they get to the wall. See my people laughing and giggling while their brother, a fellow human being like them, was being assaulted by the same person that swore to serve and protect them.”
Human rights lawyer Mr. Deji Ajare condemned the governor’s actions as a violation of the cleric’s rights.
However, Bago’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, claimed ignorance of the viral video, stating, “I am not aware of the video. Is it social media work? I will look for it, let me check.”
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