Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, has denied having any link with insurgent groups like Boko Haram and Al Qaeda, as alleged in a viral report.
The minister said this in reaction an unconfirmed report that alleged that United States government placed him on a watchlist for alleged links with late Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram.
The report claimed that before his appointment as a minister, Ibrahim was a known Islamic preacher and held what was termed ‘dangerous views’ against US government with allegiance to Al Qaeda.
The news platform did not provide any source of the information order than citing the “America’s Intelligence Service.”
In his remark, Pantami threatened to sue media houses that are responsible for publishing the unconfirmed report over defamation of character.
1) @NewsWireNGR your RETRACTION through your independent investigation,has been noted. However, investigative journalism requires the investigation before publishing, not after.
Further, major publishers will meet my lawyers in the court on this defamation of character. https://t.co/08W3dP4tlf— Isa Ali Pantami, PhD (@DrIsaPantami) April 12, 2021
He expressed he has been preaching against the doctrines of Boko Haram and similar groups, endangering his life in the process.
Speaking about a viral video that showed him conversing with late Yusuf in Hausa, the minister said; “If you can’t understand Hausa, get an objective Hausa speaker to translate for you objectively”.
2) My lectures against the doctrines and all other evil people have been available for over 15 years, including debates that endangered my life against many criminals in Nigeria. If you can’t understand Hausa, get an objective Hausa speaker to translate for you objectively.
— Isa Ali Pantami, PhD (@DrIsaPantami) April 12, 2021
It would be recalled that Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, earlier described the report as ‘fake news’, declaring that the Minister has never been on any US watchlist.
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