Fake News Nearly Ruined My Marriage – Lai Mohammed

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has described how fake news claiming that $1.9 billion was transferred into his account nearly ended his 40-year marriage.

Mohammed, a Minister under Buhari’s administration, stated this on Thursday, July 18, at a programme sponsored by Olabisi Onabanjo University’s Mass Communication Department in Ago-Iwoye.

In his words; “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. 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.

“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 stated that he had to spend his time explaining to his wife that the claim was completely false and that the annual allocation for his ministry was N5 billion, totaling N40 billion for his tenure in government.

He puzzled how someone came up with the story that a large sum of money was in his bank.

“This is why I strongly believe that this menace of fake news should be curbed. 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.” he said.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli