Military moves in to tackle fake news/hate speech peddlers on social media, following presidential broadcast
- Major-General John Enenche, Director of Defence Information, disclosed that a false version of Buhari’s address was spread on social media not even up to 30 minutes after the president’s live broadcast
- He revealed that strategic media centers have been set up by the military to monitor social media in order to sieve out and react to all anti-government, anti-military, and anti-security propaganda
- The military chief further revealed that scientific measures have been put in place to intimate the public on false news stories
The Nigerian military has begun monitoring social media, to identify peddlers of fake news, anti-government and anti-security activities in the country, Punch reports.
The new development comes 2 days after the live broadcast delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari and was disclosed by Major-General John Enenche, Director of Defence Information, during an interview session on Channels Television’s News at 10.
READ ALSO: Resign if you are too ill to work - Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu tells Buhari
Acknowledging the challenges associated with social media globally, Enenche stated: “It is a double-edged sword and we are also having a bit of it.
“Imagine when the President came back and addressed the nation, not up to 30 minutes later, a fake speech of the Commander-In-Chief was being circulated in order to do what? To derail the people.
“If you are not very sharp and if you didn’t listen to the speech or you don’t have a copy of it like I had it almost immediately, you wouldn’t know.
“So, looking at it from that perspective, it is a challenge everywhere.
“What are we doing?
“In the military, we are now taking on it more seriously than ever.
“We have our strategic media centers that monitor the social media to be able to sieve out and react to all the ones that will be anti-government, be anti-military, (and) be anti-security.
“We tackle them appropriately with appropriate responses. Ahead of that, we are also proactive.
“We have measures in place, scientific measures to be able to sieve this information and also to get the public and let them know that some of this information they are getting is not genuine are not true and their objective is an anti-corporate existence of this country.”
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Legit.ng previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari addressed Nigerians live on national television on August 21.
There had been requests from many Nigerians for President Buhari to address them, even while he was on medical vacation in London.
Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians reacting to news that Buhari may return to the UK for further treatment
Source: Legit.ng
