By Adewole Kehinde
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, was absolutely right when he said, “Misinformation has become a silent bomb; it does not destroy buildings; it destroys trust. A single false post can cause chaos faster than a bullet can travel.”
This powerful statement could not have come at a better time. In a world where information travels faster than light, misinformation has become one of the greatest threats to our collective peace, security, and social harmony.
The proliferation of disinformation poses a significant and growing threat to modern society. In this digital age, dominated by social media algorithms, viral trends, and instant sharing, the truth is too often buried beneath waves of falsehoods.
The consequences of this are profound. Misinformation erodes public confidence in credible information sources, weakens democratic institutions, and fosters division where unity should prevail.
At the individual, societal, and economic levels, misinformation is a silent yet destructive force. It endangers public health by spreading false medical advice, as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It undermines trust in institutions, government agencies, the media, scientists, and public health officials, whose work is crucial to maintaining order and stability.
It also fuels societal polarisation, making people more suspicious, intolerant, and hostile toward one another.
One of the most insidious aspects of disinformation is its ability to manipulate human emotion. False narratives are rarely neutral; they are designed to provoke anger, fear, or outrage. By exploiting these emotions, malicious actors can easily distort perceptions and turn communities against each other.
A single misleading post, cleverly crafted, can damage reputations, spark violence, or incite unrest faster than any physical weapon.
Moreover, the economic toll of misinformation is often underestimated. Businesses and governments alike lose billions of naira annually due to fraudulent claims, panic-driven market disruptions, and the erosion of consumer confidence.
In an era where digital trust is the foundation of progress, disinformation threatens to destabilise not just public discourse but also innovation and development.
Most dangerously, misinformation is frequently weaponised to stir up hatred against particular social, ethnic, or religious groups. Online hate campaigns, false accusations, and fabricated stories can escalate into real-world harassment, discrimination, or even violence. What begins as a lie on a screen can easily spill into the streets with devastating consequences.
In conclusion, the Inspector-General of Police’s warning should serve as a national wake-up call. Misinformation may not topple buildings, but it topples societies by corroding the very trust that holds them together.
The responsibility now rests on every citizen, journalist, and policymaker to uphold the truth, verify information before sharing, and combat falsehood wherever it appears. For if we allow misinformation to flourish unchecked, it will continue to destroy not just our trust, but our shared humanity.
Adewole Kehinde is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja. Email: kennyadewole@gmail.com @kennyadewole 08166240846
