Pantami Reveals Plot To Publish Doctored Videos Against Him

Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Ecomony, has revealed that there is an alleged plot by some unidentified persons to publish doctored videos against him.

The minister made the allegation in a statement issued by Uwa Suleiman, his media aide, on Monday.

Pantami has been subject to intense criticism in recent days after his previous videos and audios of his sermons surfaced on social media, suggesting that he tacitly supported the activities of terrorist groups, including Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

He has been in the spotlight after the Daily Independent published a report claiming that the minister, a known Islamic preacher before his appointment, is said to be a very close confidant of the late Mohammed Yusuf, the killed leader of Boko Haram with whom he allegedly shared jihad­ist doctrines.

The newspaper, in its now-retracted report, also reported that Pantami has been placed on the watch list of America’s Intelligence Service.

He, however, renounced his previous comments last Saturday, saying that he made some of the statements when he started his preaching at a young age based on his understanding of religious issues and that his views have now changed having got more enlightened over the years.

But the renunciation did not spare the minister from a deluge of criticisms, with some Nigerians calling on him to either resign or be sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Reacting to the situation, the embattled minister claimed that it has information that some persons have sponsored indicting videos against him and will soon publish them in a ploy to further orchestrate attacks on his personality.

“We are in receipt of credible intelligence that the same forces, who have been championing a well-coordinated and richly funded campaign against Pantami, are now unto the next stage of their diabolic project.

“This time round, the forces of evil are shopping for willing partners as well as their usual avenues to release doctored videos purporting to show the minister in an alleged compromising condition as a way of creating injury on his image.

“We are least surprised by this recent move which is a clear intensification of their desperation, having failed in their assault on the personality of the minister, despite their previous efforts,” the statement read.

The minister said the notice was to alert the public to the latest plan and to warn the perpetrators about the consequences of such action.

The statement indicated that the minister would not sit idly to see his reputation as a community leader, Islamic scholar and public servant being muddled in the mud by paid agents.