The Presidency has ordered security agencies to ramp up efforts to identify and penalize websites and individuals responsible for spreading fake news, following a widely circulated false report that claimed President Bola Tinubu had sacked the Ministers of Defence and Power.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, condemned the report, published by Phoenix Browser, as baseless and deliberately misleading.
He stated, “At no point did President Tinubu relieve the Ministers of Defence or Power of their duties.” He called the report “reckless propaganda meant to deceive the public.”
Onanuga clarified that the only cabinet reshuffle occurred in October 2024, involving changes in the Ministries of Women’s Affairs, Tourism, Education, State for Housing and Urban Development, and Youth Development. Ten ministers were reassigned, and seven new nominees were sent to the Senate but no changes were made to Defence or Power.
Criticizing the growing spread of disinformation, Onanuga emphasized the need for accountability in media reporting: “Freedom of speech must not be mistaken for the freedom to lie. This form of lawlessness must be criminalized.”
He urged citizens to rely on verified and official sources for information, warning that fake news can incite unrest and confusion.
Onanuga reiterated on his X (formerly Twitter) account that security agencies must take swift action: “Press freedom cannot coexist with fabricated news and deliberate falsehoods. Fake news is a dangerous abuse of freedom and must be punished.”
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