The Presidency on Monday denied plans by President Muhammadu Buhari to embark on a 20-day foreign trip to London, Austria and Saudi Arabia.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement raised alarm over the increasing cases of false news against President Buhari, cabinet ministers, government officials and institutions in the country.
Buhari had been rumoured on social media to be planning a trip to the United Kingdom for 20 days, to proceed from there to Saudi Arabia, and then Austria.
Mr Adesina said the rumour was “nothing but falsehood from mischievous minds.”
He said: “In the past couple of days there is this trend that shows that there is an orchestration of fake news, the most violent, the most evil and pernicious that is capable of generating restiveness and throwing the country into total confusion.
“Since about yesterday (Sunday) the fake news has been trending that President Buhari would travel to London for 20 days and from there he would go to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and from there he would go to Austria and then he would be away from the country till April 4, 2020.
“We have got many calls, many enquiries whether this was true or not. Of course, there is no truth to it at all. It is just handiwork of mischievous people who want to cause disaffection, dissatisfaction in the country.
“We know that Nigeria has been passing through challenging times in the past couple of weeks, particularly due to security challenges, now they have added disinformation to it.
“Transportation Minister was said to have been attacked at Rigasa in Kaduna – he has denied it; the Air Force was alleged to have killed 250 insurgents – they have denied it; Zahra, the daughter of the President was said to have got a job through the backdoor at the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency – is not true.
“And now they said the president is travelling and he would be away for 20 days, and from there to Saudi Arabia, and from there to Austria – no truth to it.”
