Presidency Hits Hard: Tunde Ednut Called Out For Peddling Misinformation

The Presidency has criticized popular influencer Tunde Ednut, accusing him of spreading false information about Nigeria’s security situation.

The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, responded to Ednut’s claim that Nigeria is unsafe. Ednut had warned Nigerians on Instagram to avoid night movement, dismissing politicians’ assurances of safety as lies.

In a post on his account on Sunday, Olusegun accused Ednut of sharing a video from another country—South Africa—to support his claims. The Presidency described such actions as unpatriotic and driven by a desire for social media clicks.

“Nigeria’s security apparatus is not perfect, but consistently chasing clout by misleading an audience has reduced Tunde Ednut to a misinformation monster,” the statement read.

The Presidency questioned why Ednut would use foreign footage to portray Nigeria as unsafe, noting that such acts contradict the patriotism and governance advocacy he claims to support.

Highlighting progress in the security sector, the Presidency cited the arrest of high-profile terrorist leaders, the degradation of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) following Simon Ekpa’s arrest, and improved safety on the Abuja-Kaduna highway.

“While insecurity remains a challenge, Nigeria is in a better position than before. Hundreds of bandit leaders have been eliminated, thousands of their members neutralized, and key highways are safer. The IPOB threat has significantly reduced,” the statement added.

The Presidency urged Ednut and others to stop spreading false or inciting messages for social media attention.

“Tunde Ednut needs to do better, and the truth must be made clear to him. This is entirely wrong,” it concluded.