The Kebbi State Government has dismissed allegations of inadequate distribution of Ramadan palliatives in Dandi Local Government Area, describing a viral video circulating on social media as a “stage-managed drama” allegedly orchestrated by political opponents.
The video, which has attracted attention online, showed a man identified as Abduljalal Usman claiming that he received only one mudu (plate) of rice and one mudu of maize as his share of palliatives reportedly distributed to staff of the Dandi Local Government Education Authority.
However, the state government said the claim was misleading and did not reflect the reality of the programme.
In a statement issued on Sunday, March 15, the Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the state governor, Abdullahi Idris, said preliminary findings indicated that the individual featured in the video had been manipulated by political actors seeking to discredit the administration’s intervention programme.
“The individual in the video is a known psychiatric patient who was manipulated by desperate politicians to discredit the widely applauded Ramadan palliative initiative of the governor,” Idris said.
He further stated that the claim made in the video was inconsistent with the actual items procured and distributed by the government.
According to him, the grains supplied for the programme consisted of rice and millet, noting that maize was not part of the consignment.
“The grains procured by the state government for distribution were rice and millet. There was no maize in the consignment as claimed in the viral video,” he explained.
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Idris also clarified that at the time the video was recorded, the allocation meant for Dandi Local Government Area had not yet arrived at the council headquarters.
The government maintained that the palliative programme initiated by Governor Nasir Idris had received widespread commendation from residents across the state, particularly as Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan.
“The distribution of grains by the governor has been widely applauded by the people. It is therefore not surprising that such support has unsettled the opposition ahead of the 2027 political season,” Idris said.
The adviser further alleged that the viral clip was part of a broader campaign aimed at damaging the reputation of the administration, citing previous incidents he described as attempts to undermine the government, including what he called a “stage-managed thuggery attack” in Birnin Kebbi and exaggerated reports of banditry in Tadurga.
“No amount of blackmail, fabrication of falsehood, or mischievous propaganda will change the people’s confidence in Governor Idris and his demonstrated commitment to peace and socio-economic development of Kebbi State,” he added.
The Kebbi State Government recently launched the Ramadan palliative programme to cushion the effects of rising food prices on residents during the fasting period.
Meanwhile, authorities in Dandi Local Government Area have lifted the suspension earlier placed on Usman pending the outcome of further investigations into the incident.