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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abujpa
The Grassroots Mobilisation Initiative (GMI) has raised the alarm over the rising wave of fake news and disinformation in Nigeria, warning that the dangerous trend is fast becoming a major threat to national security, peace and unity.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Coordinator, Samaila Musa, the group accused “malicious elements and unpatriotic citizens” of deliberately fabricating and spreading false information aimed at creating distrust between citizens and the government, while fueling instability across the country.
Musa said the distortion of facts and outright fabrication of stories have gone beyond political propaganda and now constitute a direct attack on Nigeria’s peace, unity and security.
According to him, the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to forge official documents, clone the voices of government officials and create deepfake videos of religious and regional leaders has made the fake news menace even more dangerous.
“What we are seeing today is no longer just the casual sharing of unverified rumours. Mischief-makers are now using advanced technology to deceive the public, create panic and trigger violence in communities,” he said.
GMI identified the spread of false military casualty figures, doctored videos of security operations and misleading narratives about the armed forces as some of the ways fake news is undermining ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity.
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The group warned that in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like Nigeria, fabricated reports can easily ignite ethnic and religious tensions, leading to loss of lives and destruction of property.
While affirming the right of citizens to hold government accountable, Musa stressed that there is a clear difference between constructive criticism and deliberate attempts to provoke unrest through falsehood.
The organisation called on Nigerians to verify information before sharing it, urging citizens to rely on credible and verified media platforms for sensitive security and political information.
GMI also urged security agencies to strengthen enforcement of cybercrime laws and ensure that operators of fake news networks are identified and prosecuted regardless of their status or political affiliations.
The group further appealed to social media giants such as Meta, X and TikTok to improve content monitoring and swiftly remove harmful misinformation capable of inciting violence.
It warned that while economic challenges can be addressed through reforms, the damage caused by ethnic and religious conflicts fueled by digital lies could leave lasting scars on the nation.
“Nigeria’s unity must not be sacrificed on the altar of viral engagement and political manipulation. Every citizen has a responsibility to protect the country by refusing to spread falsehood,” Musa stated.
