Former Military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babgida has rejected the Sahara Reporters publication that the illegal mining site whẹre illegal miners werẹ arrested in Niger state belongs to him.
In his reaction theFormer President described the publication as baseless, false and misleading which should be ignored by Nigerians in its entirety.
Former Niger State Commissioner ọf Information, Dr Danladi Umar Abdlhamid stated this in a statement issued to Newsmen in Minna the state capital on behalf ọf the Former President.
General Ibrahim Babangida explained that it is particularly troubling that the author admitted in the same publication that the allegation was unverifiable, yet proceeded to publish such news without cross checking its fact, strrsding that any allegation which cannot be verified should not be published as though it were established fact.
He categorically rejected the publication and demanded that the false impression created by the negative publication be corrected that General Babangida has no connection whatsoever with the mining operation in question, and urged members of the public to disregard the unfounded allegation.
Thẹ statement said while it respect the Sahara Reporters and its long standing contributions to investigative Journalism in Nigeria, however reminded that reputation carries with it a responsibility to uphold accuracy, fairness, objectivity and proper verification before publishing allegations of this magnitude, the statement added.
PR ALIYU LAWAL.
