The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged
Nigerians to disregard the fake news being circulated via a parody
Twitter account and an old NTA news video that President Muhammadu
Buhari is travelling or has travelled to the U.S.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the minister said one
of the numerous parody Twitter accounts in his name,@MohammedLai,
was used to disseminate the fake and ludicrous news that President
Buhari is due to leave Nigeria for the USA on Monday ”to condole
with President Trump over the floods in Houston.”
Also, he said, an old NTA News video being circulated on the
social Media claims that President Buhari has already left for the
UN General Assembly in New York.
”This is a 2015 NTA News video that was repackaged to look
current, and to give the impression that the President left Daura,
where he is celebrating Eid-el-Kabir, directly for New York,” Mr.
Mohammed said.
He said Nigerians should disregard any news credited to any
account in his name, either on Twitter or Facebook, adding:
”Numerous parody accounts have been opened in my name on the two
platforms, when indeed I have no Twitter or Facebook accounts.”
The minister recalled how the same parody Twitter account used
to disseminate the fake news about the president’s purported trip
was employed to circulate a fake report that he sharply criticised
Senator Dino Melaye for attending the Notting Hill Carnival in the
UK.
He said these two instances highlight the dangers posed to the
polity by the purveyors of fake news and disinformation, and vowed
that the Federal government would soon fish out those behind the
shenanigans.
”Fake news, disinformation and hate speech are the antics of the
naysayers, those who are pathologically opposed to this
Administration. That is why we are urging Nigerians to be more
discerning and to double check any information emanating from the
social media,” Mr. Mohammed said.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged
Nigerians to disregard the fake news being circulated via a parody
Twitter account and an old NTA news video that President Muhammadu
Buhari is travelling or has travelled to the U.S.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the minister said one
of the numerous parody Twitter accounts in his name,@MohammedLai,
was used to disseminate the fake and ludicrous news that President
Buhari is due to leave Nigeria for the USA on Monday ”to condole
with President Trump over the floods in Houston.”
Also, he said, an old NTA News video being circulated on the
social Media claims that President Buhari has already left for the
UN General Assembly in New York.
”This is a 2015 NTA News video that was repackaged to look
current, and to give the impression that the President left Daura,
where he is celebrating Eid-el-Kabir, directly for New York,” Mr.
Mohammed said.
He said Nigerians should disregard any news credited to any
account in his name, either on Twitter or Facebook, adding:
”Numerous parody accounts have been opened in my name on the two
platforms, when indeed I have no Twitter or Facebook accounts.”
The minister recalled how the same parody Twitter account used
to disseminate the fake news about the president’s purported trip
was employed to circulate a fake report that he sharply criticised
Senator Dino Melaye for attending the Notting Hill Carnival in the
UK.
He said these two instances highlight the dangers posed to the
polity by the purveyors of fake news and disinformation, and vowed
that the Federal government would soon fish out those behind the
shenanigans.
”Fake news, disinformation and hate speech are the antics of the
naysayers, those who are pathologically opposed to this
Administration. That is why we are urging Nigerians to be more
discerning and to double check any information emanating from the
social media,” Mr. Mohammed said.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/news-of-president-buharis-trip-to-u-s-is-fake-lai-mohammed/