By Haliru Sani
It is unfortunate that we woke up on Tuesday to read misinformation peddled by some opposition group that a Sokoto magistrate had remanded an activist for sharing videos of Gov. Ahmad Aliyu and his wife on social media platforms, spreading notes at a time when people are hungry.
The report claimed that a Sokoto Magistrate Court has remanded Shafi’u Umar Tureta, who was accused of spreading media contents against Gov. Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto state and his wife.
But all this was intended to deceive the gullible public to believe that Gov Ahmad Aliyu’s government is muzzling freedom of expression.
To put the records straight, Tureta is not an activist but working opposition figures in Sokoto State. If you doubt this, why would some notable personalities follow the accused to court in his defence?
We, the concerned stakeholders in Sokoto are worried by the deceitful report done by Tureta, which was intended to drag Gov Aliyu and his wife’s names in the mud.
Tureta’s arrest has been misconstrued by many as an attack on human rights activism and press freedom. However, facts have emerged revealing a different story.
Contrary to claims that Tureta is an activist, sources close to the matter have confirmed that he is, in fact, doing a hatchet job opposition in the state.
This revelation raises questions about the motivation behind Tureta’s action and the true nature of his relationship with the profession he claims to belong.
It appears clearly that Tureta’s sharing of false information against Gov Aliyu and his wife was not an act of activism, but rather a desperate attempt to discredit a political opponent who, through hardwork and commitment to the people’s walfare, has drawn the envy of his traducers. Tureta is undoubtedly working for opposition figures who cannot stand the soaring popularity of Gov Aliyu among Sokoto people.
We must be cautious not to jump to conclusions and misrepresent facts surrounding an incident like the Tureta’s hatchet job. The spread of fake news is a serious issue that can have far-reaching consequences in the polity. In this case, it is clear that Tureta’s actions were driven by political loyalty to prominent opposition figures in Sokoto rather than a desire to expose the truth, which is the core value of journalism.
We must not confuse political machinations with genuine activism. True activists risk their lives to stand up for what is right, but not to settle political scores. We must be careful not to conflate the two and inadvertently legitimise disinformation and political manipulation.
Nigerians in their thousands who love to protect press freedom however, came to the realisation that the First Information Report (FIR) indicated that the accused person was charged with circulating injurious falsehood, known to be defamatory, the offences that contravene Sokoto’s penal code law.
According to the FIR, the accused person committed the offences sometimes in July when he shared videos of the governor’s wife, Hajiya Fatima Aliyu, spreading money on ground during her birthday ceremony in spite of economic downturn which had adversely affected the citizenry.
Umar Tureta is also guilty of sharing a false document that indicated that Gov. Aliyu failed his Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE) because he scored F9 in his subjects. What a lie from the pit of hell!
What Tureta refused to understand is that Gov Aliyu had gone through the whole gamut of educational pursuit. He is a holder of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Administration from Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.
Records are there at the university, to show that Gov Aliyu passed his first degree with Second Class Upper Division. If Tureta’s claims were right, Gov Aliyu wouldn’t have passed all those stages to achieve such an educational success.
In Debunking the dangerous misinformation, we would like to boldly say that Sokoto Magistrate remanded an opposition errand boy, but NOT an activist.
I am writing this rejoinder to clarify the situation and correct the misconception that Tureta was an activist.
He belongs to one of the opposition political parties in the state which is still groaning under the pain of losing Sokoto to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and therefore, can do anything under the sun to bring down the populist administration of Gov Aliyu through propaganda and misinformation.
Tureta’s arrest has sparked widespread debate on social media, with some ignorantly calling for his unconditional release and criticizing the government’s handling of the situation, believing him to be a true activist.
Tureta’s report which accused Gov Aliyu and his wife in a scandal has been proven by many to be false. He was subsequently arrested by the police and charged with spreading false information. Those who are calling for his release must understand that freedom of expression is not the same as freedom to misinform and spread fake news, in order to incite the masses against a state executive.
Some people have argued that the government’s actions are an attempt to silence critics and stifle free speech. But the reality is that Tureta’s arrest was occasioned by his spreading false information that could harm the reputation of the governor and his wife.
His case has also sparked a wider conversation about the responsible use of social media and the need for citizens to be mindful of the information they share online.
The youths are, therefore, advised to be mindful of politicians who are out to use them as instruments of achieving political points without minding the consequences.
Haliru Sani writes from Sokoto, Sokoto state