THE Nigerian government has said that insecurity experienced in some parts of the country is being aggravated by fake news and misinformation.
The Minister of Information and Culture, 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) on Monday.
“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. Unfortunately, this insecurity crisis has been exacerbated by the twin evil of fake news and misinformation,” he said.
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While citing some examples to clearly illustrate how fake news is fueling apprehension and anxiety in the country, Mohammed said that on August 10, this year, the Kaduna State Government had to debunk an online report claiming that hundreds of bandits had laid a siege on the Kaduna – Zaria Road in Kaduna state.
He 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.
Mohammed said, “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 explained further.
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Mohammed noted 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.
According to him, 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 various social media platforms like Facebook and Google to curtail the spread of fake news and misinformation in the country.
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 them.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
