The Police Command in Benue State on Saturday refuted the news circulating in social media that a rural farmer in Kwande Local Government Area of the State killed a lion.

It’s Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during a telephone interview in Makurdi that the social media news report was fake.

Anene said that yearly people post the same picture of the killing of a lion on the social media, adding that there was no element to truth in it.

“It is not true; there is no element of truth about that. They post that picture every year. The same picture was posted last year. There is nothing like that. It is a lie”, she said.

She further warned the public against circulating fake news, adding that those behind such acts we be punished.

Also, the Director-General, Services and Administration (DGSA), Kwande Local Government Area, Mrs Kate Atsaga, also told NAN that no lion was killed in the area.

Atsaga, who is the acting chairman of the Council following the suspension of the elected chairman by the State House of Assembly, said the social media reports were fake.

She said that she has not received any information about the killing of a lion by a Kwande resident.

“I don’t know about it. I have never heard of it and I go to the office everyday and have never heard such information of a native of Kwande killing a lion.

“Yes we may have security issues around the Shangev -Ya axis involving Mbakya and Mzev which has already led to the arrest of two traditional rulers.

“But, on the killing of a lion nobody has told me about somebody killing a rat not to talk of lion”, she said