Why Speculation About Gowon’s Death? -By Mohammed Ahmed

There have been speculations about the passing away of former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), circulating on social media, which have been purely false.

On October 9th, 2023, there was a rumor about his death read on Facebook: “Former Military Head of State General Yakubu Gowon is Dead at the age of 98,” which was later confirmed false.

Now, a couple of days ago, the same rumor was circulating on social media that Gowon is no more, and that is not only false in its truest form but also misleading information that wrings the hearts of his many admirers.

Punch reported that Adeyeyi Ayayi, Gowon’s Personal Assistant, has, in a statement on Sunday, described circulating reports claiming that the “elder statesman is dead” as false and misleading, urging Nigerians to disregard the rumor and stressing that Gowon is very much alive and in good health.

Misinformation is becoming a passionate concern on social media; agents of unverified information are peddling fake news from their comfort zones. What is the future of media if this continues? Misinformation is one of the core aspects that violates the code and ethics of Nigerian journalism. Are we sanctioning it? The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) should continue to strongly stand against hate speech and misinformation. This must not have a space to harm the consciousness of Nigerians.

As Nigerians, we must be vigilant and take responsibility for the information we share. We must verify facts before sharing and be mindful of the impact our words can have on others. The future of our media and our society depends on it.