'It's figurative expression'; Borno’s commissioner denies threat to cut off opposition members' fingers

August 31, 2026

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

The Borno State Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Youth Empowerment and Sports, Comrade Saina Buba, has debunked media reports claiming that he threatened physical harm against opposition members.

However, the commissioner, in a viral video which has sparked widespread concern, threatened to cut off the fingers of those who pointed a finger at members of his group.

“We are now playing politics. Whoever shows us a finger, we will show him a finger… Whoever dares to show us a finger again, we will break his finger,” he said.