By Gloria Attah
A civil society group known as the Grassroots Mobilisation Initiative (GMI) has expressed concern over the increasing spread of fake news and disinformation in Nigeria, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to national security, social cohesion and the country’s unity.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Coordinator, Samaila Musa, GMI said the deliberate distortion of facts and fabrication of stories had gone beyond political propaganda and now constituted a direct attack on Nigeria’s peace and security describing individuals involved as “malicious elements and unpatriotic citizens,”
According to the organisation, Nigeria is already battling several security challenges and cannot afford additional threats from individuals who exploit digital platforms to spread misinformation capable of inciting violence and unrest.
Musa said the situation had become more dangerous with the use of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create fake documents, cloned voices and deepfake videos designed to mislead the public.
He noted that manipulated videos and audio recordings, often produced in local languages, were being used to create panic and trigger violence in communities.
“What we are seeing today is no longer just the casual sharing of unverified rumours on WhatsApp. Mischief-makers and desperate actors are now using advanced technology, including Artificial Intelligence, to forge official documents, clone the voices of top government officials and create deepfake videos of religious and regional leaders,” he said.
The group identified three key areas where fake news is causing significant damage. It said false reports on military operations, including fabricated casualty figures and doctored videos, undermine the morale of troops fighting insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality.
GMI also warned that disinformation could worsen ethnic and religious tensions in the country, noting that false narratives have the potential to spark reprisals and deepen divisions among communities.
The organisation further stressed that while citizens have the constitutional right to criticise government policies and demand accountability, deliberate acts such as forging official documents, creating fake economic policies and spreading fabricated corruption allegations amount to subversion.
Musa urged Nigerians to verify sensitive security and political information before sharing it online, warning that the consequences of spreading false information could be devastating.
The group called on law enforcement agencies to strengthen the enforcement of cybercrime laws and ensure that individuals behind fake news networks are identified and prosecuted regardless of their political affiliation or social status.
It also appealed to major social media platforms, including Meta, X and TikTok, to improve their monitoring systems and swiftly remove harmful content, especially misinformation translated into local Nigerian languages that could incite violence.
GMI maintained that while economic challenges can be addressed through reforms and collective effort, the damage caused by ethnic and religious conflicts fueled by disinformation could have long-lasting consequences.
“The Grassroots Mobilisation Initiative reminds all citizens that a damaged economy can be repaired, but a nation torn apart by ethnic and religious violence fueled by digital lies is difficult to rebuild. We must choose patriotism over viral engagement and refuse to be tools for spreading falsehood,” Musa added.
