Kogi Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Rabitu Okwute, has threatened legal action against those linking her to a viral video allegedly depicting political thuggery.
In a statement issued on Friday in Lokoja, Okwute denied sponsoring or knowing the youths seen in the video allegedly destroying an opposition party office in Dekina Local Government Area.
The footage shows young men claiming to act on behalf of the Kogi government, threatening violence against anyone providing office space to opposition parties in the area.
StarReporters reports that the video alleged Okwute sponsored the group.
However, the commissioner dismissed the claim as “false, wicked, and baseless.”
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the actions of those individuals in that video. I do not know them, did not send or support them,” Okwute said in the statement.
She described the allegations as a calculated attempt to tarnish her image, especially during a personal period of mourning following the recent death of her husband.
“I am still mourning my husband who died in August. I’ve barely been seen in public, much less involved in any political activity. Why should I not be allowed to mourn in peace?”
Okwute said the viral claim was being pushed by political enemies uncomfortable with her growing influence in the state, particularly within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
She warned that she would not hesitate to take legal action against individuals or media platforms making defamatory claims without verifiable evidence linking her to political violence.
*“I will not hesitate to pursue justice through the courts. No one should link me to thuggery without facts.
“I have built a name through service and sacrifice,”* she stated.
Despite the controversy, the commissioner reaffirmed her loyalty to the APC and the people of Dekina, promising continued service rooted in peace, unity and people-centred leadership.
*“I remain a woman of virtue, not division. My focus is peace, progress, and purposeful leadership.
“No blackmail will derail that mission,”* she said.
(NAN)