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How Fake News Threatened My 40-year-old Marriage – Lai Mohammed

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A former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has recounted how fake news circulated on social media nearly destroyed his 40-year-old marriage.

The ex-minister shared his story during an event in Lagos commemorating Prof. Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday, where he discussed “The Media in the Age of Disinformation.” The text of Mohammed’s presentation was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

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Mohammed, also serving as the Managing Partner of Bruit Costard, a lobbyist and public relations firm, reflected on one of the significant challenges he encountered during his tenure as minister: the rampant spread of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation.

Mohammed emphasized that fake news, disinformation, and misinformation nearly destroyed his marriage, highlighting their extensive consequences.

He said, “Permit me to share publicly with you today for the first time, how social media threatened the foundation of my 40-year-old marriage.

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“It was sometimes in 2018 when I came to Lagos from Abuja for an official assignment.

“As usual, I retire to bed about midnight, but about 3 am., my wife gently roused me from my slumber.

“At first, I panicked, fearing that there had been a security breach, but my wife’s mien belied that possibility, for she was calm and composed.”

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He continued: “Solemnly, my wife asked me if I was fully awake as there were some serious issues to discuss.

“I could not fathom what was that urgent or serious to warrant being woken up at this time of the night.

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“My mind immediately did a kaleidoscope of my rascalities and escapades in the last few months”.

Mohammed said the accusation from his wife was “a bombshell” and was narrated to him in Yoruba language.

He presented the narration as follows:

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Daddy, death can come knocking at any moment, please let me also, as your wife, be a signatory to your overseas account in Ali Financial which contains 1.3 billion dollars.”

The ex-minister expressed disbelief that his wife fully believed the false story circulating about government officials, including himself, supposedly having large sums of money in overseas accounts during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“I spent the next two hours or so, sweating to convince my wife that there is no iota of truth in the allegation.

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“I had to fetch a calculator and reproduce the Federal Appropriation Act for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 in the middle of the night and explain to her why it is simply reposterous for me to have 1.3 billion dollars in a foreign account.

“I explained to her that there is no year my capital budget exceeded N5 billion, which then, at about N400 to a dollar, was just 12.5 million dollars.

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“I explained that, even if I managed to divert every kobo of it to my personal account, it will take at least, 104 years to save the sum of 1.3 billion dollars being peddled that I stole,” he said.

Mohammed added: “My wife insisted that the whole world believed the story and that her friends had, as a result, besieged her with all kinds of requests.

“She said every effort on her part to deny the existence of this foreign account only succeeded in depicting her in the minds of her friends as a selfish, greedy and uncaring friend.

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“Is my wife truly convinced of my innocence? The answer is in the wind!.”

Mohammed reiterated that social media remained the platforms of choice for the purveyors of fake news, anti-state groups, anarchists, secessionists, terrorists and bandits.

During his time in government, Mohammed remembered that his ministry uncovered 476 online publications solely dedicated to disseminating fake news against the previous administration of President Buhari.

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Mohammed specifically remembered the fake news claiming that the former president had passed away while undergoing treatment in a London hospital and had been replaced by a clone named “Jubril from Sudan.”

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According to Mohammed, the problem of fake news persisted through the campaigns leading up to the 2023 general elections, during which President Bola Tinubu became a target. Videos and speeches attributed to him were manipulated and distorted to spread false information.

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He mentioned that those spreading fake news were persistent in their attempts to undermine the commendable policies and programs of Tinubu’s administration.

Mohammed highlighted how fake news had grown drastically due to the use of Artificial Intelligence and deep learning techniques, enabling the creation of highly realistic fake or manipulated videos, audio recordings, or images.

“The consequences of disinformation and misinformation are far-reaching.

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“They undermine democratic processes, sow discord within communities, and pose significant threats to public health and safety.

“Today, even the media is at risk of losing its credibility because of the proliferation of fake news on Social Media

“Therefore, the media, as custodians of the public trust, must take decisive action to combat the scourge of disinformation and misinformation,” he said

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Mohammed asserted that social media platforms and other intermediaries, accountable for amplifying disinformation and misinformation, should bear responsibility. He advocated for the implementation of robust regulatory frameworks to monitor and curb the spread of false information while preserving freedom of expression.

He urged social media platforms to prioritize the integrity of information above profit motives. Mohammed emphasized the importance of taking proactive measures to detect and remove harmful content from their platforms.

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Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday shocked a female puff-puff seller during a rally in Osogbo by buying all her snacks with ₦50,000 and offering her employment as a chef at the Government House.

This happened when Osun public servants trooped out in their thousands in what they called an appreciation solidarity rally in support of the governor for his support and care since he took over state governance.

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It was observed that the governor, who sat in the bus, had sighted the woman who was among the crowd cheering him.

He immediately beckoned to the woman carrying a plastic container filled with puff-puff on her head and asked how much it would cost to buy all the snacks.

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The female hawker, who was visibly surprised and star-struck at the level of her proximity to the governor, found it difficult to even tell the governor how much she sold the snacks.

Surprisingly, Adeleke handed her a bundle of ₦50,000 to the cheers of the crowd.

The lucky woman knelt down in appreciation of the governor’s generosity.

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Excited onlookers quickly rushed to share the snacks in the plastic already purchased by the governor.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Hosts Gov Adeleke, Deji Adeleke, Davido In Lagos

The governor invited the vendor inside the vehicle where one of his officials questioned her academic background, and she revealed that she holds a Nigerian Certificate in Education.

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Adeleke further asked about the dishes she could prepare and instructed his aides to take her contact details for employment as a chef in the Government House.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner II at the Osun State Civil Service Commission, Olaniyan Taofeek, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “The moment Gov. Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller into a Government House chef.”

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A Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Oni Gbenga Lawrence, also corroborated the incident in a post on X, stating: “Moment Governor Ademola Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller to Government Chef… not only ₦50k but he invited her into his car and employed her as chef in the Government House.”

The Guardian correspondent, who was at the scene of the welcome rally, made efforts to interview the lucky vendor, but they did not yield as she was not allowed to alight from the bus throughout the event.
(The Guardian)

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Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

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The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licenses of all private and community schools in the state, with effect from August 13, 2025.

The announcement came through a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by Commissioner Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa.

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The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, released the document in Katsina on Saturday.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Kastina Commissioner Assassinated

According to the circular, the move is part of the government’s effort to strengthen quality assurance and standardization within the education sector.

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The withdrawal of licenses is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved standards and provide quality education to students,” Danjuma said.

The circular also outlined a review of fees for license application, registration, and annual renewal.

READ ALSO:Katsina, UNDP To Return 270,000 IDPs To Ancestral Homes

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“Owners of affected schools are required to obtain fresh licenses by submitting proof of payment to the ministry on or before September 30, 2025.”

The statement also added that school operators have been warned not to increase tuition or other charges without government approval.

The ministry further promised to issue additional guidelines soon, including categorization of schools and the revised fee structure.

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JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead

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British-born Nigerian missionary, Ruth Elton, reputed to be the oldest missionary has passed on at the age of 91.

Ruth Elton, born 7 September 1933, was a British-born Nigerian missionary whose lifelong dedication to faith, healing, and revival left an indelible mark on communities across western and central Nigeria.

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It was learnt that Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.

She was the only daughter of Pa Elton and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.

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Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and nationalised as a Nigerian.

At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only for a while as new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.

Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.

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A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.

Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.

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Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.

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