Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has advised corps members against sharing and spreading fake news on the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ibrahim gave the advice in a statement released by Adenike Adeyemi, Director, Press and Public Relations of the NYSC on Saturday in Abuja.

“As the globe reels under the heavyweight of COVID-19 pandemic, a serious threat that has affected virtually every country of the world, blind to race, creed and social status, it is very worrisome that the hard-hit nations, struggling with the devastating health blows dealt by the scourge, with attendant economic implosions and social dislocations; the creation and dissemination of fake news has been added to the mix.

“Coming home, it has assumed a monstrous stature, therefore requiring well-articulated advocacies to contain.

“If we cast our minds back to the year 2014 when we battled the highly deadly Ebola virus, particular fake news was created and bandied about by some mischievous Nigerians.

“This caused many people across the country to tread on the dangerous path of drinking salted water, as well as bathing with same.

“The ungodly news resulted in so many deaths, especially among the hypertensive patients, whose blood pressures, triggered by the excessive consumption of salt went astronomically high, thereby leading to avoidable fatalities.

“With the raging COVID-19, so many unverified stories have been created, ranging from the seemingly serious ones to the outrightly absurd and ridiculous ones which someone with an elevated mind such as yours, should be able to decipher as false,” he said.

Ibrahim, said that he was confident that the Scheme parades a creme of the most enlightened class of Nigerian youths, with diversified knowledge implores you not to yield to fake news or become purveyors of the news.

He urged them to join the vanguard against the spread of fake news, in order to root out the dangerous malaise from our Nation.

“Therefore, it behooves you to interrogate every news, knowing its source (s), in order to make an informed judgment.

“As the world fights COVID-19, a real threat to human existence, remember to always abide by all the safety rules released by the Federal Government agencies, especially, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); and the National Youth Service Corps,” he said.

Ibrahim advised the corps members to always stay tuned to the conventional news media, particularly the NYSC platforms.

NAN