The presidency on Wednesday, warned Nigerians against the barrage of fake news making rounds across various social media and other platforms.
Particularly, the presidency in a statement released by Garba Shehu, official spokesperson of President Muhammadu Buhari denied reports of any presidential aide testing positive to COVID-19.
The declaration follows an earlier report on Tuesday which claimed that Sarki Abba, President Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs had tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Bibian Anekwe News previously reported that Bashir Ahmad, a presidential media aide had dismissed the report as fake and shared a picture of Abba in his office.
The Presidency again via a statement from Garba Shehu on Wednesday, described the report as fake and false. It urged Nigerians to ignore agents of fake news.
It added that all presidential aides are regularly and routinely checked for COVID-19 and Abba as well as all other aides tested negative.
The statement reads:
“The Presidency wishes to advise Nigerians to ignore determined agents of fake news bent on spreading false stories to the public.”
“We react to the utter falsehood and disgraceful lies, a report by so-called digital newspaper which, Wednesday, claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide, Sarki Abba is COVID-19 positive.”
“This report is sheer fabrication and brazen effort by the online news medium to mislead the public.”
“Upon the directive of doctors and scientists and supervision of Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the Chief of Staff, all staff working for and around the President, are routinely and rigorously checked for the virus.”
“The Senior Special Assistant, Social Affairs and Domestic Matters, Sarki Abba, always tested negative.”
“The general public is hereby advised to ignore such stories that are intended to mislead the people and create unnecessary anxiety about the safety of the President.”
“Don’t let yourself to be manipulated by any medium that thrives on yellow journalism and specialises in peddling fake news in the desperate quest for the market and donor money.”
