Coronavirus: Avoid spreading fake news, Saraki cautions Nigerians

A former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has cautioned Nigerians to avoid spreading sensationalist or false information about the coronavirus epidemic.

Saraki, in a Twitter message, also urged the federal government to install top of the line screening equipment at Nigeria’s entry ports and implement a policy of stronger screening of people arriving the country from places with high prevalence of the virus.

He appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control to step up its awareness campaign by transmitting information about the disease and the steps that can be taken to prevent it in as many Nigerian languages as possible.

“It is also necessary to appeal @FMOH to update Nigerians daily on events to help curb the spread of fake news and misinformation about the virus. I appeal to media houses to support this awareness campaign as much as possible.

“Finally, I appeal to Nigerians not to panic and to avoid spreading sensationalist or false information about the virus,” he said.

Nigerians, he said, could overcome any challenge when “we unite behind a common purpose.”