Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says
insecurity in the country is exacerbated by fake news and misinformation.
He said this during his speech on Tuesday at a summit
organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) titled “Summit
for National Integration, Peace and Security”.
The minister said fake news and misinformation endanger the
peace, security and development of any nation.
“I want to most sincerely commend the Nigerian Institute of
Public Relations (NIPR), of which I am a proud Fellow, for organizing this
event: Citizens Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security. As a key
stakeholder in the Nigerian project, I see this as NIPR’s contribution to the
discourse on national unity, and also a most practical and positive
contribution to the pressing challenges of peace and security in our country,”
Mohammed said.
“In recent times, in
particular, the issues of peace and security have been on the lips of many
Nigerians, against the backdrop of rampaging terrorists, bandits and
kidnappers.
“This crisis of insecurity has, unfortunately, been
exacerbated by the twin evil of fake news and misinformation.
“I want to use this important platform to commend our
gallant men and women in uniform, and to appeal to all our compatriots to
continue to support them in their onerous task of keeping our country safe.
“We must also realize
that security is the business of everyone, hence the tagline “if you see
something, say something.” Terrorists or bandits are not spirits. They are
human beings and they reside in our communities. They must all be exposed and
crushed for peace to reign.
“Let me cite some recent instances of fake news and
misinformation in this regard. On August 10, the Kaduna State Government had to
debunk an online report claiming that hundreds of bandits had laid a siege on
the Kaduna-Zaria road.
“The widely circulated message even advised travellers not to enter or leave Zaria due to the presence of bandits at Dumbi and Jaji along the Zaria road.
“Imagine the apprehension and disruption of plans that this
fake news could have caused. Imagine its impact on the security agencies who
are doing everything, including paying the ultimate price, to keep us safe.
“Also, in April 2022,
a drone video went viral showing a group of five men wearing red clothes and
cooking inside an unknown forest. Those circulating the video claimed that it was
somewhere in Nigeria.
“But when BBC did a fact-check on the drone video, it
discovered that it was not in Nigeria. The video was circulated just to create
panic among the citizens and put the society on edge.
“In June 2022, there were reports of bandits using a
helicopter to attack residents in four communities in Kajuru Local Government
Area of Kaduna. The Kaduna state government had to debunk the story by
clarifying that the chopper was actually an Air Force helicopter dispatched to
repel an attack in the area. Again, imagine the panic that would have been
triggered by this fake news.
“Finally, I cannot count the number of fake news that has
been attributed to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the favourite ‘whipping boy’ of the
relentless authors of fake news and misinformation.
“After the Kuje
attack, one of such fake news quoted me as saying: “The bandits never told us
they were coming to Kuje. It was a big surprise.
“As silly as this sounds, you will be shocked that some people still believed and shared it on social media.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com