The Federal Government on Saturday dismissed reports making the rounds on social media about a bomb explosion at the South African High Commission in Abuja.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser, Segun Adeyemi, described the report as “fake news orchestrated by desperate opposition to cause panic and chaos among the populace”.
He said the video being circulated was that of a bomb explosion at Emab Plaza, near Banex, Abuja, on June 25, 2014.
He accused the opposition of using fake news and disinformation “as handy tools in their avowed determination to make Nigeria ungovernable, having lost woefully at the polls.”
The statement added: “A pattern is emerging of the antics of the desperate opposition to latch on to the use of fake news and disinformation as a strategy to trigger chaos in the country.
“On Friday Sept. 6, 2019, they doctored and circulated the video of my appearance on Channels Television in January 2015 (when I was the spokesman of the APC) to make it look like I was begging Nigerians to forgive President Buhari for not having a school certificate.
“Worse still, they posted the video afresh, giving the impression it happened last Thursday and that I acted in my capacity as Minister of Information and Culture.
“One would have expected a party that trumpets its belief in the rule of law, a party that challenged the result of the last presidential election in court, to wait patiently for the impending judgment instead of engaging in underhand tactics and resorting to self-help.
The minister warned Nigerians to be wary and to check the veracity of any information they received adding that “Nigerians should expect an explosion of fake news and disinformation in the days and weeks ahead.’’
Mohammed also warned those behind the fake news and disinformation campaign to stop forthwith or be ready to face the music.
