Date: 2021-01-11

A retired Grand Kadi of Kwara State, Justice Salihu Oloruntoyin Muhammad has cautioned against the preponderance of fake news.

According to him, the harmful effect of fake news does no society any good. Speaking at a special prayer session of the state chapter of the National League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ) in Ilorin on Saturday, the Jurist admonished media practitioners not to seek cheap popularity through falsehood cloaked as news stories for public consumption.

Justice Muhammad, who alluded to the recent report on social media platforms that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Muhammed Tanko Ibrahim, had contracted COVID-19, attributed it to the handiwork of fake news peddlers. He implored Journalists to be mindful of what they disseminate as news, because fake news would not serve the society well.

The jurist identified unverified report as one of the problems confronting the nation and should not be allowed to thrive owing to its destructive tendencies. He tasked veteran journalists to help curb the activities of fake news peddlers for the sake of peace and stability of the nation.

The jurist called on Muslims and Christians to unite and be their brother's keepers regardless of religious differences.

According to him, "there must be unity amongst us as Nigerians adding that as Muslims, they cannot live alone as Allah didn't design that it is only Muslims that will be in this world, neither did he decide that only Christians should be in this world".

"All of us are in the market to sell our wares. Tell us about Jesus. Tell us about why we should be with him. That is all. Don't abuse. Don't denigrate. Then, I will tell you about Islam. This is how it is. This is how it should be," he further explained.

Similarly, the former Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, Reverend Cornelius Fawenu, warned against using religion and ethnic sentiments to tear the nation's fabric apart. He noted that the prevalence of fake news in the society was affecting the orientation of the people and called for caution.

Also speaking, the Chairman, state chapter of NALVEJ, Alhaji Mohammed Tunde Akanbi, said the prayer session was organised to seek divine face "to solve the problems confronting us as a nation and the entire universe such as Covid-19 pandemic and the insecurity ravaging the nation".

The event featured Muslim and Christian prayers for healing of the nation and was led by the Imam of Radio Kwara, Imam Olayiwola Abdulsalam and Prophet Femi Dairo of Christ Apostolic Church, Ilorin