News stories of a purported plot to assassinate the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III has been described as a hoax by the Sultanate Council.
In a statement made available to journalists on Friday in Kaduna by the Magajin Garin Sokoto, Alhaji Hassan Danbaba, the Sultanate Council expressed disappointment at the newspaper report, saying it was an attempt to link the security operation that took place on Wednesday in the Gidan Dare area of Sokoto Township with the Sultan.
The statement accused the newspaper of not cross-checking its facts before going to the press, saying that it was unethical for any news media to publish falsehood.
The statement said it was imperative to issue a rebuttal so as to correct the wrong impression the report might have created in the minds of Nigerians.
”The Sultanate Council denounces the newspaper’s contrived attempt to link the security operation that took place on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 in the Gidan Dare area of Sokoto Township with His Eminence, the Sultan, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III,” the statement said.
It accused the newspaper of twisting the incident at Gidan Dare area to serve its sinister purpose of sensational reporting.
”Contrary to the professional requirements of news reporting, the accompanying news item contained no attribution or credible basis to justify the screaming headline and did not reflect any attempt to verify such a disturbing report either from the military authorities who conducted the operation or from the Sultanate Council.
“The unethical slant to an event that was adequately publicised by the authorities concerned as an operation triggered by a tip-off on the existence of a terrorist hide-out in the Gidan Dare area of Sokoto that was successfully executed indicates the paper’s scant regard for factual reporting of events while giving undeserved attention to the speculative and ill-intentioned imagination of its reporter.
“The Sultanate Council seizes this opportunity to urge media practitioners to be responsible and to observe the ethics and standards of the noble profession of journalism in carrying out their duties,” the statement said.
Also, Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao described reports of an alleged attempt to assassinate the Sultan as a wicked lie.
Alhaji Arisekola said on Friday that the report published by a Lagos-based national newspaper was unfortunate and in bad taste.
The report had stated that Boko Haram insurgents, whose base in Sokoto was attacked and destroyed by security men on Thursday, actually planned to attack the Sultan.
Alhaji Arisekola, however, told the Saturday Tribune that the Sultan is a respected person in Nigeria who should not be wished evil by anyone wondering why the matter clearly explained by military authorities could be extended to the Sultan.
“I have spoken with Sokoto and other stakeholders. I want to tell Nigerians, including the Muslim Ummah that the Sultan is not under any threat whatsoever.
“We pray that he lives long to continue to give his dynamic leadership,” he said.