By Micah Jonah
March 15, 2026
The Kebbi State Government has dismissed claims of inadequate distribution of Ramadan palliatives in Dandi Local Government Area, describing a viral social media video as a “stage-managed drama” orchestrated by political opponents.
The video showed a man, Abduljalal Usman, claiming he received only one mudu (plate) of rice and one mudu of maize as his share of palliatives distributed to staff of the Dandi Local Government Education Authority.
In a statement, Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to Governor Nasir Idris, Abdullahi Idris, said investigations revealed Usman is a psychiatric patient who was manipulated for political purposes. “The individual in the video is a known psychiatric patient who was manipulated by desperate politicians to discredit the widely applauded Ramadan palliative initiative of the Governor,” Idris said.
The government clarified that the actual palliative composition included rice and millet, not maize as claimed, and that the Dandi Local Government Area’s allocation had not yet arrived at the council headquarters when the video was recorded.
Idris added that the Ramadan intervention programme had been widely welcomed by beneficiaries across the state, and the viral video appeared to be part of a broader campaign to tarnish the administration ahead of the 2027 political season. He cited previous attempts including a “stage-managed thuggery attack” in Birnin Kebbi and exaggerated reports of bandit attacks in Tadurga.
The Dandi Local Government Authority has lifted the suspension of Usman pending the conclusion of investigations. The state government urged citizens to disregard the viral video and reaffirmed its commitment to socio-economic development in Kebbi State.
