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How fake news nearly destroyed my 40-year marriage —Lai Mohammed

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Thursday lamented the devastating impact of fake news, sharing a personal account of how a false report about a phantom $1.9 billion in his account nearly ended his 40-year marriage.

Speaking at a programme titled “A Day with Alhaji Lai Mohammed” organized by the Mass Communication Department of Olabisi Onabanjo University in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Mohammed underscored the need for collective action against fake news.

“The menace of fake news is a menace that must be tackled by all of us; this is something that nearly cost me my marriage of about 40 years,” he said.

“While we were in government, there was fake news that I had $1.9bn in my bank account, and unfortunately, many people believed this falsehood, including my wife.”

Mohammed recounted a distressing incident where his wife, influenced by the false report, requested to become a signatory to his bank account in preparation for any eventuality.

“One day, my wife woke me up in the middle of the night and spoke in Yoruba. She called me: ‘Daddy,’ and I said, ‘Yes, what is it?’ She said, ‘We all know that death can come at any time; we may say it wouldn’t be this early, but it may be. But whatever happens, it will be good if you make me one of the signatories to your bank account to prepare for any eventuality. Even my friends and many other people are already begging me for money after seeing the report of so much money in your account.’”

The former minister said he had to painstakingly explain to his wife that the report was entirely false, noting that the annual allocation for his ministry was N5 billion, amounting to N40 billion over the years he served. He questioned the source of the fabricated information and emphasized the urgent need to curb the spread of fake news.

“You won’t know the weight of it until it is about you. It has destroyed many marriages; many people have even committed suicide because fake news were published about them on social media,” Mohammed said.

Addressing the prevailing economic crisis, Mohammed defended the Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress government, asserting that it should not be blamed for the hardship in the country and expressing optimism that Nigerians would soon have reasons to smile.

The event, which aimed to bridge the gap between academia and the public, was praised by Dr. Lanre Akinola, Head of the Mass Communication Department, for providing students with valuable insights and inspiration from Mohammed’s lecture.

“I am glad the students are excited to meet with the former minister. They have interacted with him, they have drawn inspiration from his very rich lecture, and they must have picked a whole lot of lessons that can help them turn out to be the best in life too; it has been a rewarding experience,” Akinola said.