Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says a fake report about a purported $1.9bn allegedly paid into his bank account almost ruined his 40-year-old marriage.
The former Minister made the revelation on Thursday in Ogun State while speaking at an event tagged: “A Day with Alhaji Lai Mohammed” organized by the Mass Communication Department of Olabisi Onabanjo University.
He called on Nigerians to team up in the fight against fake news, stressing that until one becomes a victim, he may not know the gravity of fake reports.
He said after the fake report of $1.9bn in his account, his wife woke him up at midnight, demanding to be one of the signatories to his bank account to prepare for any eventuality.
Mohammed said, “The menace of fake news is a menace that must be tackled by all of us; this is something that nearly cost me my marriage of about 40 years.
“While we were in government, there was fake news that I had $1.9bn in my bank account and unfortunately, many people believed this falsehood, including my wife.
“One day, my wife woke me up in the middle of the night and spoke in Yoruba, She called me: ‘Daddy’, and I said, ‘Yes, what is it?’ She said, ‘we all know that death can come at any time; we may say it wouldn’t be this early but it may be, but whatever happens, it will be good if you make me one of the signatories to your bank account to prepare for any eventuality’”.
The former Minister added that even his “friends and many other people” were also begging for money after seeing the fake report.
How fake news nearly ruined my 40-year-old marriage – Lai Mohammed