The Plateau State government has asked two popular media outlets, the Punch and Sahara Reporters to retract the report and render unreserved apologies to their readers and the Nigerian public at large, for their ‘false’ report on bomb blast in the State.
The media houses had reported that many people were killed in a bomb blast in the Terminus area of Jos ,the state capital on Tuesday, November 12.
But the state government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibrahim Musa Ashoms, described the reports as not only false, but misleading and capable of throwing the state into a turmoil.
“The Plateau State government condemns in strong terms the false and misleading reports published by The Punch and Sahara Reporters alleging a bomb blast in the State.
“The Government and people of the State are deeply saddened by the fake and malicious story by Punch Newspaper and Sahara Reporters that there was a bomb explosion at Jos Terminus Market on Monday,” the statement by Ashoms, read in part.
“The Government views this unprofessional, reckless and irresponsible journalism as a deliberate attempt to create panic, instill fear, and tarnish the image of Plateau State.
“The Punch Newspaper and Sahara Reporters should immediately retract the false report of a bomb blast in Jos and issue a formal apology to the Government and people of Plateau State.
“The two media organisations must apologise to the government and people of Plateau State for writing a false report with the intention of deceiving the world on what never happened. The story must be published in the Punch Newspaper and Sahara reporters platform.
“The government views the fake report as a deliberate attempt to cause panic and/or puncture the hard-earned peace enjoyed in the state as result of the good leadership directions of our dear leader and the Time is Now redeemer of Plateau State His Excellency Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.”
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