By Sandra Kenneth
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has cautioned citizens against spreading fake news, unverified content, and recycled videos on social media, warning that deliberate misinformation threatens national security and fuels attacks on innocent individuals.
The Commandant of the NSCDC Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, issued the warning during a nationwide roadshow in Abuja organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) ahead of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF).
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Chairman of the NIPR FCT Chapter, Stanley Ogadigo, the corps highlighted how unverified viral posts create widespread panic, heat up the polity, and inadvertently aid criminal networks such as bandits and kidnappers.
Odumosu expressed concern over individuals circulating decades-old crisis footage disguised as current events, using false travel advisories to trigger public hysteria.
“In combating insecurity, it is very germane that we create awareness because there is so much misinformation and propaganda that are not good for our collective well-being,” Odumosu said. “Somebody would just wake up, bring out a video that is as old as 20 years… target happenings now in places like Kano State, and start dishing out instructions like ‘Everybody, take a detour.’ Such irresponsible communication heats the political climate and leads to chaos.”
He urged youth and active social media users to verify information before sharing and adopt responsible digital communication practices.
Echoing these concerns, Dr. Suleiman Haruna, Chairman of the WPRF National Planning Committee, stressed the need for strict information integrity, particularly as artificial intelligence tools make fake content easier to generate and disseminate. He noted that the upcoming global forum’s theme—“Responsible Communications: Voice of the World”—directly addresses these challenges.
Ogadigo described Nigeria’s selection to host the WPRF as a historic reputation-building milestone, marking only the second time the global conference is held in Africa. The event, organized alongside the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, is expected to bring together around 3,000 delegates from 126 countries, including representatives from the World Bank, United Nations, and World Customs Organisation.
