The former minister renewed the call for the regulation of social media, arguing that the space remains a platform of choice for secessionists, terrorists, and bandits.
The immediate past Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has recalled how fake news peddled on social media nearly spelt the death knell of his four-decade-old marriage.
Mohammed was in office between 2015 and 2023, and he spent much of his stint advocating for the regulation of social media due to the challenges the phenomenon posed to his work and society as a whole.
Meanwhile, the former minister has revealed that his job was not the only victim of malicious misinformation. As it turned out, Mohammed’s marital life was also impacted by the devious act.
He disclosed these while speaking at an event to commemorate the 90th birthday anniversary of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, in Lagos.
The ex-minister stressed that one of the pressing challenges he faced while in office was the hordes of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation.
On how the menace almost wrecked his marriage, Mohammed noted that the consequences of fake news, disinformation, and misinformation were far-reaching.
“Permit me to share publicly with you today, for the first time, how social media threatened the foundation of my forty-year-old marriage.
“It was sometime in 2018 when I came to Lagos from Abuja for an official assignment.
“As usual, I retire to bed about midnight, but at about 3 a.m., my wife gently roused me from my slumber.
“At first, I panicked, fearing that there had been a security breach, but my wife’s mind belied that possibility, for she was calm and composed,” the ex-minister said.
