Taraba Council Warns Against Fake News, Inciting Posts Over Mbara Village Crisis

The Sardauna Local Government Council of Taraba State has issued a strong warning against the circulation of unverified information capable of worsening the recent security situation in Mbara Village, Mbamnga District.

Council Chairman Mohammed Jirji Umar raised the alarm in a statement, expressing concern over what he described as the spread of false information, provocative videos, old photographs, hate speech and exaggerated accounts of the incident.

Umar said such content was making efforts to restore peace more difficult, as the state government, security agencies, traditional institutions and the local government continue working to stabilise the affected communities.

“The council would no longer tolerate the circulation of content capable of worsening the situation,” the chairman said.

He assured residents that Sardauna Local Government remained calm, with security personnel deployed to the area and in control of the situation. According to him, normalcy was gradually returning, while stakeholders were engaged in dialogue to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

The council described its latest directive as a final warning to individuals, groups and bloggers within and outside the local government against publishing, sharing or forwarding unverified, misleading or inflammatory materials.

Umar warned that individuals found circulating such content could face arrest and prosecution under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, as well as other applicable laws covering criminal defamation, incitement and breach of public peace.

The chairman urged residents and other members of the public to disregard unverified reports and rely on official channels for information about developments in the area.

He also encouraged residents to use social media responsibly and report suspicious online activities to security agencies, stressing that digital platforms should be used to promote peace and reconciliation rather than deepen tensions.