‘It Is Nothing But Fake News’ — Lai Mohammed Denies Contracting COVID-19

Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has denied contracting COVID-19 and described reports suggesting that he is down with the virus as “fake news”.

According to Mohammed, there was no way he could have coordinated some activities during the week and participated in Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting if he was down with the virus.

The minister spoke against the backdrop of a report by Premium Times, which claimed that COVID-19 had “ravaged” the Presidency and infected a minister and top officials of the State House.

While President Muhammadu Buhari’s senior media adviser, Garba Shehu, confirmed to the newspaper that he was infected with COVID-19, Mohammed denied that was infected with the virus.

“I read the story and we still have a great battle on our hands on fake news and mischievous reporting. I was in the public view on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I was at FEC on Wednesday. I coordinated press briefing on Thursday for the extraordinary EFC meeting. And the minister of power and I addressed media,” The Punch quoted the minister to have said.

“On Friday, I witnessed the swearing-in for minister of state for power after which we had a security meeting. How can someone who has had such highlevel engagements for three days consecutively be ill?

“It is nothing but fake news. I am hale and hearty. Not only that, I have taken the two doses of the vaccine. I have also taken the Pfizer booster. I am a member of PSC and I am hale and hearty and I am performing at optimum level.”