Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has refuted recent media reports suggesting an impending ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in certain parts of the state, particularly in Suleja Local Government Area.

Earlier reports had indicated that the Niger State Liquor and Licensing Board planned to enforce a total ban on alcohol sales and consumption in Suleja and its environs starting January 1, 2024.

The Secretary of the board, Mohammed Ibrahim, was quoted as making this announcement during an interactive session with journalists in Minna, the state capital, amid Christmas festivities.

Governor Bago, in a statement he personally signed, clarified that such reports were false and misleading. He emphasized that the Liquor and Licensing Board is currently nonexistent in the state.

The statement reads; “The attention of the Niger State Government has been drawn to a report making the rounds of some blogs claiming that the Niger State Government, through the state’s Liquor and Licensing Board, has prohibited the sale of alcohol in nine local government areas of the state, including Suleja,”

“We wish to state categorically that His Excellency, Governor Bago, who has been busy initiating and overseeing many people-centered projects across the state, never issued such a directive. The liquor and licensing board is yet to be constituted by the governor; as such, no directive of this kind can come from a board yet to be formed.”

Bago expressed concern over the misinformation and directed security agents to apprehend the self-appointed secretary of the board to understand the motives behind the pronouncement.

He urged the public and the media to ignore such pronouncements and seek clarification from authorized government officials.

“We invite the good public and our friends in the media to ignore any such pronouncements and to, henceforth, seek clarification from known government officials who are authorized to speak for the state and government,” Bago stated.