The Benue State government has refuted reports that have been making the rounds in the media that some angry youths stoned and booed Governor Hyacinth Alia when he visited Vaatia College in Makurdi.

In a statement released on Thursday, Sir Kula Tersoo, the Chief Press Secretary for Alia, called the reports "fake, fictitious, and misleading."

“[It was] fake, fictitious, misleading, and probably designed to undermine, demean, and cast Governor Hyacinth Alia in a negative light,” the statement read.

The statement claimed that the governor's visit to Vaatia College was in response to a case of theft, vandalism, and destruction of a tomb that had been reported on the college grounds.

During the visit, Alia gave explicit directions for quick detention and legal action against the individuals accountable for the aforementioned offences.

Tersoo went on to say that there were no problems during the governor's visit to Vaatia College.

He went on to say that Alia enjoys public acceptance to freely traverse the state's marketplaces and streets without encountering any trouble.

Speaking to journalists, Tersoo emphasized the need to check the veracity of news sources before publishing stories and asked them to uphold journalistic ethics.

“This report is ill-intended, to say the least. Let us learn to be investigative and always verify the truthfulness of any report we give,” he added.