I have been besieged lately by a barrage of forwards and posts on social media that leave me wondering whether the folks that send or post these messages have any intellectual filters (which I think this age requires) or perhaps there is a contest for being the first to forward or as CNN would say, “be the first to know”. Sadly, people now seem to believe that social media is a veritable source of authentic information. One is tempted to give credit to Donald Trump who has successfully labeled main stream media as FAKE NEWS; with the corollary that social media makes genuine news. What a paradox!

I will cite some shocking examples in the last one week that accentuates this worrisome anomaly:

A friend sends me this forward that states that the entire ‘security architecture’ of Nigeria is headed by Fulanis. From the President who is the commander-in-Chief though the IG of police to the National security adviser. The forward concludes by wondering how then the marauding Fulani herdsmen can be stopped. I sought to cross check the facts only to discover that the first person listed after the president who of course is a Fulani is the IG of Police. It turns out that the IGP, Ibrahim Idris Kpotum is of Nupe extraction from Niger State. I didn’t bother to check the others. I picked up my phone to call my friend and confronted him with my findings. He began to stutter as he said: “it was forwarded to me too”.

Again, I receive this video where the esteemed Bishop Oyedepo was addressing a congregation and quoting a purported release by the Fulani Nationality Movement (FNM). What shocked me the most was not the content of the paper but rather the supposed source of information which the revered clergyman says in his words: “ it’s on the net (internet)”. He repeated: “it’s on the net”. Now, here is my problem. Dr. Oyedepo is a PhD holder and pro-chancellor of two leading private universities in Nigeria. I would be shocked out of my existence if he is ignorant of the fact that the internet can not be cited in evidence in intellectual or academic discourses. High school students know that not even Wikipedia can be quoted in their research. I have also found in the same source that the Bishop cited, all manners of phoney news report about him - that he was banned from London, he is a fake prophet, he got his power from the under-world etc. All on the net. Do I believe it because it is on the net? Really amazing! I googled the so called FNM only to discover it is a non-existent organization whose only appearance is on this document. Anyone can post anything on the internet. It is not God who uploads content on the net, it is anybody and anybody at that. What a day it would be when Fulani herdsmen are technologically savvy enough to communicate via the internet.

There is yet another that was forwarded to me that says: EVER WONDER WHY CERTAIN MEDICATIONS DON’T WORK AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF USE? It goes on to state all kinds of fallacious drug interactions that leave me wondering at how scientifically inventive we can be. Vitamin C and Antimalarial drugs, Painkillers and soft drinks, the list goes on and on. Have we become so intellectually destitute that we cannot reason or search things out before tacitly endorsing them as we share?

Perhaps, the most ridiculous one is the clearly photoshopped image of President Buhari gazing at a herd of cattle on an iPad at a public function. I am not aware of any head of state who goes around with a gadget. Not even the twitter happy President of the United States is seen in public with his twitting device. Secondly, I know that for security reasons, it is very uncommon for anyone other than security details to sit behind the president let alone have access to the content of his document.

I still wonder when Nigerians will use the brains that God has given them rationally. Today, social media has exacerbated the malaise of an already intellectually leth

bro i taught i was the only one that has noticed it, its really becoming worse these days

Op God bless you. Many people have brain few end up using it.

It all started from the media houses. People are only tapping into the poor intelligence of the typical Nigerian. We are not getting any duller. We are just manifesting ignorance differently. Social Media only gave everyone a platform to spread what they've been getting from the media outlets.

This article captures it well:

http://www.mortalpoet.com/nigerian-media-media-controlling/