Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has said the amount of fake news and misinformation in the country can bring it down.

The minister stated this on Friday in Abuja when he paid a working visit to the headquarters of DAAR Communication Plc, owners of African Independent Television and Raypower FM.

He said the trend which was championed by social media and which the traditional media are “unfortunately feeding on, could tear the fabric of society, if not checked.”

He said, “There was a time when the spoken and the written words were not challenged or questioned, but today it is not so.

“About 50 per cent of what we read in the social media is not true but unfortunately even when it is not credible, it goes viral and people believe the fake stories.

“My greatest problem and worry is with the traditional media, which are latching on the same fake news and disinformation.

“I am worried because it affects the credibility of the media itself and once the media is no longer believed by the people, then it has serious consequences on the society.”

He recalled the rumoured death of President Muhammadu Buhari while he is on vacation in the UK.

He said, “What happened last week is quite worrisome as Mr President left for vacation.

“Within 12 hours of leaving the country, news that he has died went viral, later it changed to that he was critically ill.

“This actually heated the polity and even the rebuttal of the spokespersons to the President and myself, did little to dampen the rumour.”

He appealed to the traditional media to always counter such fake stories with genuine news.

Azeez