The Ministry of Defence and the Nigerian Army says a viral video on social media allegedly showing the Nigerian Defence Minister, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), boarding a black Sports Utility Vehicle with an AK-47 rifle strapped across his shoulder is fake.
Ever since the video surfaced, it has registered negative reactions as some online commentaries noted that the Defence Minister’s action was probably due to the high rate of insecurity in the country.
The video was striking because of persistent calls by some federal and State government officials for Nigerians to defend themselves and also because the Minister has some armed security details with him.
The viral video had this tag: “Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Gen Bashir Magashi (Rtd), carrying AK-47 by himself and inside an armoured vehicle.”
But Mohammed Abdulkadir, Spokesperson to the Minister, told Global Upfront Newspapers (GUN) that “the video shows Army Vehicle colour. The Honourable Minister of Defence (HMOD’s) car is PRADO. It is fake and untrue.”
And on Sunday, the Nigerian Army said via its verified Facebook page that the viral video is ‘fake news.’
It also noted that the video was made to demean the Minister of Defence.
According to the post by the Army: “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a falsified Social Media post aimed at demeaning the Honorable Minister of Defence. The Army wishes to state that the person in the video is not the Honorable Minister of Defence.”