Alhaji Layiwola “Lai” Mohammed who formerly served as the minister of Information and Culture of Nigeria on Thursday, condemned the effect and detriments of fake news, lamenting that a fake report about a $1.9bn paid into his account almost ruined his marriage of 40 years.
He said this at a programme organized by the Mass Communication Department of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye in collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Journalists and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Ogun State.
Lai Mohammed explained while delivering his speech, “…while we were in government, there was fake news that I had $1.9bn in my bank account and unfortunately, many people believed this falsehood, including my wife. One day, my wife woke me up in the middle of the night…she said, ‘We all know that death can come at any time; we may say it wouldn’t be this early but it may be, but whatever happens, it will be good if you make me one of the signatories to your bank account to prepare for any eventuality…’”
The former minister said he had to take his time to explain to his wife that the report was entirely fake news. He said he had wondered how someone would sit somewhere to cook up that a whooping sum of money is in his bank.
He said, “You won’t know the weight of it until it is about you. It has destroyed many marriages, many people have even committed suicide because fake news were published about them on social media.”
