The Presidency has decried worsening misinformation in the country, joining in the call for the menace of fake news to be criminalised so as to stem the tide in the polity.
Fake news is false or misleading information that claims the authenticity and legitimacy of news.
Apparently irked by the menace, Tuesday, the Presidency declared that fake news must be criminalised, contending that “Press freedom and freedom of speech will not exist when some people can wake up and concoct their news and narratives without regard for truth.”
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, took to his verified X handle where he refuted a trending report which claimed that President Bola Tinubu dismissed the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Power.
The Presidential spokesman urged security operatives to take urgent action with a view to stopping the menace, just as he called on Nigerians to ignore the concocted report.
The report by Phoenix Browser, on Tuesday, said that President Tinubu sacked Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, the Minister of Defence; Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence; and Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power.
“It is fake news, plain and simple, sensationalist hogwash that should be treated with the contempt it deserves,” he said.
Onanuga advised Nigerians to depend on official government channels and trusted news outlets for accurate and verified information.
“This is to inform the general public that the story titled ‘BREAKING: Tinubu Sacks Ministers of Defence and Power’, published by Phoenix Browser, is completely false, misleading, and devoid of any factual basis.
“At no point has President Bola Ahmed Tinubu dismissed the Ministers of Defence or Power. This falsehood, presented as breaking news, is nothing but reckless propaganda designed to misinform the public.
“To set the record straight, the most recent cabinet changes announced in October 2024 did not include the Ministers of Defence or Power. Those affected were Ministers of Women Affairs, Tourism, Education, State for Housing and Urban Development, and Youth Development. Furthermore, ten ministers were reassigned, and seven new nominees were presented for Senate confirmation, all of which were officially documented and widely reported by credible media platforms.
“Nigerians are strongly advised to ignore the concocted report by Phoenix Browser. It is fake news, plain and simple, sensationalist hogwash that should be treated with the contempt it deserves.
“Please depend on official government channels and trusted news outlets for accurate and verified information,” he said.
According to the Presidential spokesman, “Security agencies must urgently take action against fake news websites and platforms and the purveyors who fail to check the authenticity of the stories and make them go viral.
“Fake news is simply licentiousness and must be criminalised.”
