The Presidency has directed security agencies to intensify efforts in identifying and penalizing fake news websites and individuals spreading false information, following a viral report falsely claiming the sack of Nigeria’s Ministers of Defence and Power.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, condemned the report published by Phoenix Browser as “completely false, misleading, and devoid of any factual basis.”
“At no time did President Tinubu dismiss the Ministers of Defence or Power,” Onanuga said, describing the report as “reckless propaganda designed to misinform the public.”
He clarified that the only cabinet reshuffle occurred in October 2024, which involved changes in the Ministries of Women’s Affairs, Tourism, Education, State for Housing and Urban Development, and Youth Development. Additionally, ten ministers were reassigned, and seven nominees were submitted to the Senate for confirmation—none of which included the Defence or Power portfolios.
Onanuga decried the growing trend of fabricated stories and stressed the importance of responsible journalism. “Freedom of speech must not be confused with the freedom to lie. This is licentiousness and must be criminalized,” he stated.
The Presidency urged Nigerians to rely on official channels and reputable media platforms for accurate information, warning that unverified news can lead to public confusion and unrest.
Security agencies have been tasked with tracking and taking action against the purveyors of such disinformation campaigns.
Onanuga wrote on X :
“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. 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. Fake news is simply licentiousness and must be criminalised.”
