Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that Nigeria is ‘safer today than at any time in recent times,’ as the worst is over as far as insecurity is concerned.
The Minister said this when he spoke at a Ministerial Session at the ongoing UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week.
According to him, the military and other security agencies are up to the task of protecting Nigerians and non-citizens.
“I can assure all that our military and other security agencies have continued to do everything possible to secure and protect Nigerians and foreigners living in Nigeria.
Terrorists have been hard hit and put on the run. Bandits have been decimated and scattered. Our country is safer today than at any time in recent times, thanks to the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. Nigerians too should continue to be alert but must not panic. Like I said in a recent statement, as far as insecurity is concerned, the worst is over for Nigeria.”
Mohammed also said some media outlets and social media personalities, spread unverified information on their platforms just for ‘clickbait.’
“Talking of clickbait, this may be what informed the spread of the supposed security alert issued recently by some foreign embassies in Nigeria.”
One would imagine that if indeed this kind of security alert was issued, it was for the attention of citizens of the issuing countries in Nigeria. Suddenly, this alert found its way into the media, both new and traditional, thus creating panic in the polity.
Schools were shut, businesses were closed, travel plans were altered, lives were disrupted. No one cared to find out about the authenticity of these alerts. They just published, got the benefit of massive clickbait and damned the consequences.”he said