Lai Mohammed reveals what may cause "the next war", says fake news has become cancer
- Information minister, Lai Mohammed, has said the world has to do something about fake news on social media
- The minister said stakeholders need to come together to address the menace, else it will cause the next war
- Mohammed, however, denied the allegation that the FG wants to stifle the media in the guise of curbing fake news
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Lai Mohammed, Nigeria's information and culture minister, has raised concerns over the danger of fake news on social media.
The minister told Channels TV on Monday, February 22, that fake news, if not addressed, may cause great damage to the world.
Source: Twitter
He said:
“The mix of fake news using social media platforms has now become cancer that if the world does not take time, it will destroy the world."
Mohammed called for collaboration among stakeholders, warning that “the next war will be caused by fake news,” if no action is taken.
The minister, however, said the federal government is not interested in stifling the media as being insinuated in some quarters.
Mohammed accused social media platforms of double standards especially during the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests staged in many parts of Nigeria in October 2020.
In a similar development, the Inspector-General Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has blamed the violence that erupted after the #EndSARS protests on fake news.
According to the IGP, social media was awash with fake news which he opined, triggered the violence.
The IGP made the statement after attending the northern governors' forum meeting which came out with a communique for social media to be censored in Nigeria.
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In other news, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it has not commenced the sale of forms for the 2021 Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The examination body made this known on Monday, January 4, through a weekly bulletin of the office of the registrar.
JAMB also warned the prospective candidates to be wary of the rumour mongers and fraudsters, adding that the clarification became necessary because of fake news.
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Nurudeen Lawal is a Legit.ng journalist passionate about fact-checking/verification journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature-in-English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. As Politics Editor, Nurudeen mostly writes on Nigeria’s political and socio-economic developments. He has attended different workshops, conferences and training on fact-checking and digital reporting, among others. Learn more about him on Twitter, @Nurudeen Lawal_
Source: Legit.ng
