Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has faced backlash for instructing his security aides to slap an Islamic cleric during a gathering.
A video obtained by Sunday PUNCH shows Bago directing his aide to, “Slap him, very well. I said slap him. Go and arrest him. Deal with him well-well,” followed by a Hausa idiomatic expression interpreted as “I have power.”
The cleric, kneeling, was forcibly removed by a security operative believed to be from the Department of State Services.
Laughter and giggles from the audience accompanied the governor’s command.
The cleric’s alleged offense remains unclear, but sources suggest he attempted to deliver the closing prayer, which the governor opposed.
Social media erupted with criticism on Saturday. Popular skit maker Debo Adedayo, also known as Mr. Macaroni, expressed outrage, “A governor who has sworn to serve the people is ordering a security agent to assault the same citizen he sworn to serve. See security agent too, flexing muscles on a man already on his knees. Continue pushing the people until they get to the wall. See my people laughing and giggling while their brother, a fellow human being like them was being assaulted by the same person that swore to serve and protect them.”
Another X user, @greatjoe01, commented, “I sincerely understand when people argue against state policing for fear of this kind of abuse of power from the governors. But what exactly are the governors not doing with the federal police now? Here is a DSS agent being ordered to carry out illegality. What are we afraid of?”
Human rights lawyer Mr. Deji Ajare denounced the governor’s actions as a violation of the cleric’s rights.
However, Bago’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, claimed ignorance of the viral video, stating, “I am not aware of the video. Is it social media work? I will look for it, let me check.”
