From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government, has said that the insecurity experienced in some parts of the country is as a result of fake news and misinformation.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this in Abuja while representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the Citizens Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security, organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
Mohammed, in a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the President (Media),
Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, said: “This summit couldn’t have come at a better time, with the issues of
peace, security and national unity on the front burner of our national
discourse. 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.”
Speaking further, Mohammed cited examples to illustrate how fake news is fueling apprehension and anxiety in the country.
The Minister said on August 10, 2022, the Kaduna State Government had to debunk an
online report claiming that hundreds of bandits had laid a siege on
the Kaduna-Zaria road.
Mohammed also said the widely-circulated fake news 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 operatives who are doing everything, including paying the
ultimate price, to keep us safe?
“Also, in April 2022, a drone video showing a group of five men
wearing red clothes and cooking inside an unknown forest went viral.
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,” Mohammed further said.
Mohammed disclosed that he has also not been spared by the purveyors of fake news and
misinformation, saying that countless numbers of fake news have been attributed
to him.
He however said the Ministry of Information and Culture is addressing the menace through the National Campaign Against Fake News and Misinformation, a nationwide
advocacy campaign, in addition to working with the various social
media platforms like Facebook and Google to curtail the spread of fake
news and misinformation.
“He expressed satisfaction that many CSOs have joined the campaign
against fake news and misinformation, while some newspapers have set
up fact-checking desks to debunk fake news and misinformation.
“The Minister commended NIPR for hosting the summit in order to promote
dialogue and national cohesion, especially in view of the myriad of
challenges to unity, peace and security facing the country,” Adeyemi said.