Taraba denies ₦5.22bn foreign trip spending report

The Taraba State government has dismissed as false a media report alleging that Governor Agbu Kefas spent ₦5.22 billion on foreign trips within six months.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Commissioner for Information and Reorientation, Barr. Zainab Jalingo, described the report, published by LEADERSHIP Newspaper, as “fabricated” and “deliberately misleading,” insisting that the claim has no basis in any official record.

She clarified that the figure does not appear on the state’s website, budget documents, or data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), urging the public to verify for themselves.

“The ₦5.22 billion claim is fiction until backed by credible evidence such as official documents,” Jalingo said, faulting the journalist, John Mkom, for relying on hearsay instead of verifiable records.

The statement also highlighted the administration’s ongoing reforms in education, healthcare, and economic development, stressing Governor Kefas’s commitment to rebuilding the state through transparency and accountability.

The government urged residents to disregard the report and rely only on official sources for accurate information.