***Vows Legal Action Against Propagandists
The Kogi State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Rabitu Okwute, has dismissed as false and malicious claims linking her to a group of youths captured in a viral video allegedly shutting down an opposition party office in Dekina Local Government Area.
In a statement personally signed on Wednesday, Okwute condemned the actions of the unidentified individuals, insisting she had no knowledge of them or their activities.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the actions of those individuals in that video. I do not know them, I did not send them, and their actions do not reflect the values of the APC, which I am proud to belong to,” she stated.
The commissioner, who lost her husband in August, described the allegation as an attempt to smear her name while she is still in mourning.
“Why should I not be allowed to mourn in peace? It is unfortunate that enemies of progress, threatened by my political rise, are resorting to cheap blackmail,” she said.
Okwute recalled her decades-long career as a civil servant in Dekina, rising to the rank of Treasurer before her retirement, and maintained that her appointment as commissioner was earned through hard work and integrity.
She stressed that her ministry’s mandate is to empower the poor and vulnerable, not to incite violence.
“My responsibility is to reduce vulnerability, not to increase it. I cannot in good conscience sponsor or condone acts that lead to hardship,” she said.
The commissioner also distanced Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo from the controversy, describing him as a peace-loving leader.
Calling on security agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind the video, Okwute warned that she would take legal action against individuals or platforms that attempt to link her to political violence without proof.
“I will not hesitate to pursue justice through the courts. I have built a name through service and sacrifice, and I will protect it,” she affirmed.
She urged youths in Dekina to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and not to be used as tools for political propaganda.
“I remain a woman of virtue and a rallying point for unity, not division. My focus is on peace, progress, and people-centered leadership,” Okwute concluded.