The minister said the latest incident of fake news was a situation where about 600 people were sent letters that they were enlisted to the Nigerian Army.
The federal government on Monday issued a stern warning to people calling for secession, saying such a call was unacceptable.
Speaking when he received a delegation from the National Institute of Public Relation (NIPR) in Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said while it is right for people to express their views and show their concerns on burning national issues in the country and even suggest restructuring, but not acceptable to call for secession.
He also decried the rising rate of fake news and careless statements by some Nigerians, Leadership reports.
The minister said the latest incident of fake news was a situation where about 600 people were sent letters that they were enlisted to the Nigerian Army.
According to him, some people “collected N10,000 from each of the applicants and told them to report to the Army battalion at Okitipupa, and at the same time alerted the Commandant that Boko Haram members were coming to invade the barracks same day.’’
Alhaji Mohammed recalled that the consensus of the Town Hall Meeting in Kaduna was simple, saying ‘’it is okay and right for people to express their view and show their concern on burning national issues and even suggest restructuring but what is not acceptable is the call for secession.
‘’When you go to social media today you will see all sorts of inflammatory statements being made daily you will begin to appreciate that it is not just politicians that should be blamed for the nation’s predicament.
“Each of us has a role to play to tone down the rhetoric, that is why I am glad NIPR is lending its platform to work with government to ensure that we have a country that is peaceful and secured because without security there can be no development and that is why this administration is ensuring peace and security.’’