THISDAY Disowns Fake Edition of Its Digital Newspaper

*Calls for thorough investigation
*Cloned publication work of desperate elements, says Uzodimma

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The management of THISDAY yesterday disowned a digitally manipulated electronic version of the Friday, 27 August 2021 edition of the newspaper, which replaced the original front-page story with a fake one.

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has also disowned the purported report on the cloned publication, describing it as handwork of desperate elements who wanted to tarnish his reputation and also destroy THISDAY as a brand.

In a statement signed by the Managing Director of the newspaper, Mr. Eniola Bello, titled: ‘Fake Digital Edition of THISDAY Friday, 27 August 2021 in Circulation on Social Media,’ the media house described the purveyors of the cloned version as unscrupulous.

While calling on the security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation of the matter to unravel those behind it, Bello noted that the suspected criminals intended to leverage the credibility of the newspaper to carry out their nefarious act.

“The attention of the management of THISDAY has been drawn to a fake version of our digital edition making the rounds on some social media platforms with the headline: ‘Shocking: Uzodinma declares Free Marriage Between Fulani Settlers and Imo Ladies’.

“This fake version of our digital edition is being circulated on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media platforms. We wish to state that THISDAY at no time published the said story. Our lead story on Friday, August 27 was ‘Buhari Elated as NNPC Breaks Jinx, Declares N287bn Profit, First in 44 Years’.
“Sadly, these merchants of fake news have chosen to leverage on the credibility and integrity of THISDAY to ply their trade,” Bello stated.

The MD rejected the poor attempt by the individual(s) at impersonating the THISDAY brand and identity in pursuit of whatever agenda they may have, by seeking to disseminate fake news to members of the public as emanating from the newspaper.

For the avoidance of doubt, the statement noted that readers can easily verify the paper’s Friday publication from the print edition, or online (www.thisdaylive.com).
“We, therefore, call on members of the public who may have unwittingly fallen for the cloned digital copy to disregard it and treat it with the utmost contempt it deserves.
“We also use this opportunity to call on security agencies to help unmask the counterfeiters behind this forgery and bring them to book,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Imo State Governor, Uzodimma, has also disowned the purported report on the cloned publication.
In a statement issued yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to Governor, Mr. Oguwike Nwachuku, the Imo State governor described the publication as the work of desperate elements who wanted to tarnish his reputation and also destroy THISDAY as a brand
“The originators of the fake publication have two things in mind: To tarnish the image of the governor and to destroy the credibility of THISDAY as a brand.

“The ill-conceived publication shows how desperate individuals and groups can get in trying to destroy the society, thinking that Governor Uzodimma is the issue.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the real headline of THISDAY the same Friday, August 27 reads: ‘Buhari Elated as NNPC Breaks Jinx, Declares N287bn Profit First In 44 Years’.

“It is pertinent to note that THISDAY management confirmed that the publication was cloned and we are confident that they will not allow their hard-earned brand and efforts of many years to be bastardised by criminal-minded fellows.
“Governor Uzodimma is conscious of the efforts being made by some individuals and groups to tarnish his image and discredit his government but will not be deterred in his determination to provide good governance to the good people of Imo State,” the statement explained.
The statement advised the public to disregard the cloned publication as coming from depraved minds and enemies of the people and the society.