The media team of the Sultan of Sokoto has dismissed as false a viral image circulating on social media which shows Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, in a posture of worship before the Sultan, describing it as a fabricated attempt to inflame religious and ethnic tensions.
Bashir Adefaka, in a statement on behalf of the media team on Sunday, said the image was “fake, likely AI-generated, and deliberately crafted to misinform the public,” warning that it was a “mischievous and dangerous attempt” to drag the Sultan into unrelated political controversies.
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The rebuttal follows widespread circulation of the image across Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms, where it was accompanied by claims suggesting religious bias in the handling of security challenges in Benue State.
Some posts alleged that the governor’s stance on the killings in the state was influenced by allegiance to northern Muslim leadership, a claim the Sultan’s media office said was baseless.
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Mr Adefaka said the narrative being pushed alongside the image sought to “introduce a divisive religious and ethnic dimension” into an already fragile security situation, stressing that the Sultan has no connection to the claims being made.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Sultan of Sokoto does not appear in the manner depicted in the circulated image whatsoever,” he said, adding that Islamic teachings do not permit prostration to any individual other than God.
He also noted that the Sultan, who is the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Co-Chairman of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, has consistently promoted interfaith dialogue and national unity for nearly two decades.
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The media team further expressed concern over what it described as a pattern of disinformation by identifiable actors online, warning that such content risks escalating tensions in parts of the country already affected by violence.
It called on security agencies to investigate and take action against those responsible for spreading falsehoods capable of inciting division, and urged religious and community leaders to encourage the responsible use of social media.
The controversy comes amid heightened sensitivities in Benue State, where recurring attacks have deepened public frustration and sharpened political narratives around identity and accountability.
The viral image appeared to feed into these tensions, with some commentators using it to question the governor’s response to the crisis.
The Sultan’s media team, however, urged the public to disregard the image and related claims, insisting that efforts to undermine trust through fabricated content must be resisted in the interest of national cohesion.
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