The Minister of State for regional development, Uba Maigari, has dismissed allegations that he diverted the sum of ₦16.5 billion allocated for the reconstruction of the collapsed Namnai bridge in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Addressing journalists in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, the minister — through his lead counsel, Ibrahim Effiong — described the claims as baseless and deliberately crafted to mislead the public.
He stated that the minister has already initiated legal action against the individual behind the accusations, a social media activist identified as Abdulmumuni Imam.
According to him, despite making serious allegations, Imam has failed to present any evidence and has subsequently gone into hiding.
The counsel added that making unsubstantiated claims is a serious offence under the Nigerian constitution and the Cybercrime Act, noting that the decision to take legal action was necessary to deter the growing trend of malicious and unverified social media allegations.
Abdulmumuni Imam had earlier raised an alarm on his social media handle, alleging that the minister secretly obtained a security order directing the police, DSS, and civil defence to arrest him over his criticism of government inaction regarding the collapsed Namnai bridge.
He also claimed that the Federal Executive Council had approved the funds for the emergency reconstruction of the bridge.