‘It’s Fake News’: Presidency Denies Sacking of Defence, Power Ministers
Security agencies urged to crack down on purveyors of misinformation
The Presidency has strongly denied reports circulating online that President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the Ministers of Defence and Power, describing the claim as completely false and dangerous.
The viral story, originally published by Phoenix Browser under the headline ‘BREAKING: Tinubu Sacks Ministers of Defence and Power’, was quickly discredited by official channels and labeled as fake news.
Reacting to the misinformation, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, condemned the spread of the fabricated story and called on security agencies to take swift and decisive action against those behind such falsehoods.
“Security agencies must urgently take action against fake news websites and platforms, and the purveyors who fail to verify the authenticity of stories before making them go viral,” Onanuga stated via his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday night.
He warned that the unchecked proliferation of false information under the guise of press freedom poses a serious threat to national stability and democratic values.
“Press freedom and freedom of speech will not survive if individuals can simply invent stories and spread them without accountability. Fake news is not freedom—it’s recklessness, and it should be treated as a criminal act,” he added.
The Presidency’s response underscores growing concern over misinformation in Nigeria’s digital media space, with increasing calls for stronger regulation and enforcement to protect public discourse.
