26th May, 2022
A civil society activist, Shehu Galadimma has asked the National Assembly to step up efforts to enact laws to tackle fake news in the country.
Galadimma said this while noting that increased incident of fake news, especially on the social media as political activities in the country take upward swing.
He cited the recent accusation that the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mounguno embezzled funds meant for procurement of military equipment as well as the smear campaign against the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire over the Lagos West senatorial seat to back his point.
Galadimma said the damage to reputations of individuals by the purveyors of fake news who when invited are always unable to prove their allegations cannot be quantified.
He added that fake news can also and had indeed led to riots and killings in Nigeria and other parts of the world, hence the need for the National Assembly to double efforts to put appropriate legislation in place to tackle it.
“We must step up efforts to ensure that those who think they can hide behind anonymity guaranteed by the social media to ruin the reputations of others are punished.
“We must ensure that peddlers of fake news are promptly punished under appropriate law in Nigeria to curb this evil menace and willy-nilly ruin of reputations built up over many years,” he said.