The Federal Government has vehemently condemned the unconfirmed security alert given recently by certain embassies in Nigeria, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, vilified the move at a ministerial panel of the ongoing UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week on Tuesday in Abuja.
Other panellists included Nigeria’s Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, and the UK’s Minister of Technology and Digital Economy, Damian Collins, who participated virtually.
In his presentation, Mohammed stated that embassies’ warnings, which did not accurately reflect the country’s security situation, could create undue tension and fear.
The minister also excoriated Nigerian media outlets and bloggers for disseminating security alerts without first confirming their veracity and implications.
He lambasted the media outlets that used the unsubstantiated security alert to drive traffic to their website without considering the consequences for the country.
“Some media outlets and social media personalities are usually caught spreading unverified information on their platforms just for clickbait and the attendant monetary gain.
“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.
“We do not discountenance the fact that terrorists, bandits and their kind would always want to do whatever it takes to disrupt our nation’s peace, security and stability.
With the military’s efforts and sacrifices, he stated that the country is “safer today than at any time in recent times.”
According to the minister, Nigeria’s security forces have been proactive, and the worst of the insecurity has passed.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians not to panic but to be alert at all times.
“Well, 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,’’ he said.
