The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has warned Nigerians against spreading misinformation and propaganda that could worsen insecurity and trigger attacks on innocent citizens.
The Commandant of the NSCDC Federal Capital Territory Command, Dr Olusola Odumosu, gave the warning during a nationwide roadshow organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Abuja ahead of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the Chairman of the NIPR FCT Chapter, Stanley Ogadigo.
Odumosu said the spread of unverified information, particularly on social media, could create panic, heat the polity and encourage criminal activities such as banditry and kidnapping.
He said, “In combating insecurity, it is very germane that we create this awareness because there is so much misinformation and miscommunication and various forms of propaganda that are not good for our collective well-being.
“Somebody would just wake up from somewhere, bring out a video that is as old as 20 years, where maybe a crisis happened, target happenings now in places like Kano State and start dishing out instructions like ‘Everybody, if you are going to Kano, please take a detour.’ Such irresponsible communication can heat the political climate.
“And, of course, because our people don’t always go to the extent of verifying this information, many just jump to a conclusion that it is true. This has resulted in a lot of chaos and attacks on innocent citizens.”
According to him, many Nigerians often fail to verify information before sharing it, resulting in panic, confusion and, in some cases, attacks on innocent people.
He urged Nigerians, particularly young people who are active on social media, to communicate responsibly and avoid content capable of provoking violence, banditry and kidnapping.
“So, the essence is for us to learn to communicate responsibly, especially in this age of social media. People ought to know that it is not too good to send out information that can heat the polity or things that can make people start attacking themselves and encourage banditry, kidnapping and all of that.
“This is why I find the theme of this World Public Relations Forum very apt. So, I am saying this so that we can send out a message loud and clear that we should endeavour to communicate responsibly, especially to our youth in this age of social media. People should use social media responsibly,” he stated.
