‘Fake news’ — FG dismisses reports of coup plot

The federal government says the report of a coup plot against President Bola Tinubu is false.

A report had said the guards brigade had been put on high alert due to suspicion of a coup plot over the prevailing economic hardship.

The defence headquarters (DHQ) has denied the report and said it would seek legal redress against the publishers of the report.

“It is to be noted that the Guards Brigade has always been on high alert in order to effectively execute its assigned tasks,” DHQ said.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, said the federal government would neither be distracted nor intimidated into abandoning the ongoing reforms.

“The report is the figment of the warped imagination of detractors, whose malicious intent is to destabilize the country and undermine the present administration,” the statement reads.

“It is now evident that some desperate individuals have resorted to publishing fake news to erode public trust in the government and sow the seeds of discord in the country.

“The government will exercise its rights within the federal republic of Nigeria’s laws to contain rogue actions to destabilize national security and the nation’s hard-earned democracy.”

Idris said the public should refrain from spreading or amplifying the unfounded reports.