80% of what you read on social media is fake, Lai tells Nigerians in diaspora

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has warned Nigerians abroad to be wary of news about the country found on social media, saying 80 percent of them are fake.

NAN reports that Lai made the remark on the sideline of a meeting with Sylvanus Nsofor, Nigerian ambassador to the US, in Washington on Saturday.

The minister said fake news on social media could create the impression that the country is at war, thereby causing ethnic and religious crisis.

“Fake news and misinformation when mixed with hate speech threaten the peace, unity, security and corporate existence of Nigerians,” he said.

“Many people in the diaspora depend a lot on Social media for news about Nigeria. However, 80 percent of what you read on social media is fake.

“Please, we implore you to visit our website fgnnformation.iapp where you can find information that is genuine about Nigeria.

“When you go by social media, the impression you get is as if Nigeria is at war and as if Muslims are killing Christians and about ethnic war.

“However, those disgruntled politicians have now tried to factor ethnicity and religion into the situation that we have in the country.

“Our challenges have nothing to do with religion or ethnicity.”

Citing an example with the farmer/herders clashes, the minister said there was misinformation on those guilty of killing two Catholic reverend fathers in Benue state.

He said armed militia were responsible for the deaths, however, the herdsmen were “blamed”.