Less than 12 hours after the news went viral that the federal ministry of Interior has started wiretapping of all calls, sms and social media activities of Nigerians, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Information and Culture has described the news as false.
In a statement signed by Segun Adeyemi, SA to Hon Minister of Information and Culture in Abuja on Monday, the Minister said “the information being circulated on the Social Media to the effect that under a purported Ministry of Interior Regulation, all phone calls and Social Media posts made by the citizens are to be monitored and recorded does not exist”.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the development as another example of disinformation that has permeated the media space, especially the Social Media.
The Minister said the intention of those behind the false news is to give the impression that the Federal Government is working to stifle freedom of speech, which is not the case.
”There is no regulation, old or new, from the Ministry of Interior or any federal government agency requiring the recording of all calls or the monitoring of Social Media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter or Facebook. We are therefore using this medium to inform all Nigerians that what is being circulated in this regard is totally false and should be disregarded.
”We thank all Nigerians who have reached out to us in an effort to confirm the authenticity or otherwise of this information, which is now being widely circulated on the Social Media. This is the best way to ensure that the purveyors of false news do not dominate our media space,” he said.
