The Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has denied a viral video claiming that the residence of Bishop Matthew Kukah, a cathedral and a Catholic pastoral centre were set ablaze in Sokoto.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Communications Pascal Salifu the diocese said the claim circulating online is false and should be disregarded.
“Our attention has been drawn to a misleading and false video currently circulating online… We wish to inform the general public that this information is totally false,” the statement read.
The diocese said the bishop’s residence, the cathedral and the Catholic pastoral centre in Sokoto remain in use.
It stated that the video did not reflect the current situation in the state and warned against sharing unverified information.
The diocese linked the video to past unrest, noting that it began circulating after the killing of Deborah Yakubu and suggested that it was being recirculated.
It said Bishop Kukah expressed appreciation to the military and other security agencies for their response after the video surfaced.
The diocese also said the situation in Sokoto is calm and urged residents to remain peaceful.
It called on the public to disregard the claim and avoid spreading content that could cause panic.
The statement also conveyed Easter greetings to residents.
“The Bishop extends his greetings and goodwill to all the faithful and people of goodwill and wishes everyone a happy Easter,” it said.
