AMPON President Urges Action against Fake News, Backs Prosecution by Security Agents

By Vanessa Obioha

President of the Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (AMPON), Mogaji Arisekola, has called for swift measures to combat fake news in Nigeria.

He said security agents had the authority to prosecute individuals involved in spreading false information.

Speaking at Eko Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, Arisekola expressed his concerns to journalists, stating that Nigerian journalists should move away from an era of imperial colonialism or the fight against apartheid and focus on combating the rampant issue of fake news.

“I have said it at different fora and I will continue to maintain that fake news phenomenon is a serious scourge that must be fought headlong in Nigeria and stakeholders need to help in changing the narrative. More importantly, I equally urge the government through its law enforcement agencies to bring the purveyors of fake news to justice. The media space must be rid of irresponsible journalism and the social media must also be sanitized to pave ways for decency and propriety.”

“Gone are the days when individuals could hide behind the anonymity of computers or smartphones, misleading the public with false and damaging information,” Arisekola pointed out.

He underscored that advanced technologies now exist to track down purveyors of fake news, regardless of their location.

He called for responsible journalism, the sanitization of social media platforms, and stressed the importance of balance, thorough investigation, unbiased reporting, and the pursuit of truth in journalism.

The President of AMPON also made it clear that there are no legal barriers preventing security agents from prosecuting individuals who cross the line.

He specifically referred to those who spread lies, deceptions, and misinformation that can incite unrest or pose a threat to national security.

As an accomplished journalist and businessman from Ibadan, Arisekola described fake news as “the scourge of our times,” warning that if left unchecked, it could worsen and cause significant harm.

He called on all citizens to remain vigilant, preventing the purveyors of fake news from sowing seeds of chaos, psychological trauma, and confusion.

He cautioned Nigerians against reactionary responses to news and urged them to subject information to rigorous scrutiny before accepting it as fact.

“This is why we are appealing to Nigerians not to ever engage in a knee-jerk reaction to any news, and to subject every piece of information to a very serious scrutiny before admitting them as fact,” he said.

He also appealed to the traditional media, with its established reputation, to join the fight against fake news and emphasized the need to safeguard the noble profession from being tarnished by unqualified individuals seeking to undermine its credibility.