Lai Mohammed Hits Back At CNN Over EndSARS Coverage, Calls Report Misleading

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said the #EndSARS protest was taken over by individuals with hidden motives beyond its original purpose.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

He made the remarks at a high-level forum held at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) over the weekend.

Mohammed argued that the protest initially began as a legitimate response to police brutality but was later derailed by misinformation and coordinated disinformation campaigns.

He said the situation worsened as false and unverified reports spread rapidly across both traditional and social media, particularly after military deployment to the Lekki Toll Gate area in Lagos.

The former minister specifically criticised CNN, alleging that its reporting relied on unverified and allegedly manipulated materials, which he claimed contributed to escalating tensions and shaping what he described as an inaccurate global narrative.

According to him, the crisis was not simply a communication breakdown between government and citizens, but a combination of fake news, disinformation, and rising violence.

Mohammed also reflected on Nigeria’s communication strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that a coordinated and adaptive approach helped the government achieve strong public trust through consistent briefings and transparency.

On security, he recalled a media tour he led to former Boko Haram-controlled territories in the North-East, saying it helped counter extremist propaganda and boosted confidence in military operations.

He further defended the temporary suspension of Twitter during his time in office, saying it was a deliberate measure aimed at curbing inciting content after efforts to secure platform cooperation reportedly failed.

Mohammed also highlighted the introduction of nationwide town hall meetings as part of efforts to improve public engagement, describing them as open forums that allowed direct interaction with citizens across all regions.

He added that when he assumed office, there was no structured communication framework in place, prompting the development of a more coordinated system that combined traditional and digital media to improve government-citizen feedback.