The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has called on the National Assembly to enact a law that would criminalise the deliberate creation and circulation of unverified or fabricated information aimed at influencing foreign governments against Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, the organisation described the growing practice of exporting misinformation to foreign bodies as a “grave national security concern.” MPAC said such actions have caused “reputational, diplomatic, economic and social damage” to the country.
The organisation said individuals and groups driven by sectional, political or separatist motives increasingly rely on unreliable or manipulated data when lobbying foreign governments and international institutions. According to MPAC, these activities have contributed to distorted perceptions of Nigeria’s internal security situation across the global community.
MPAC further alleged a pattern of cooperation between some elements within the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), claiming that both groups have amplified unverified allegations of a “Christian genocide” in their engagements with foreign policymakers.
The organisation linked these alleged misinformation efforts to recent diplomatic tension between Nigeria and the United States, arguing that sustained lobbying by the groups has shaped foreign policy discussions based on misleading information.
To support its claims, MPAC cited the 2020 UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report on religious freedom and the ongoing U.S.–Nigeria diplomatic disagreements, describing both as outcomes of long-running disinformation campaigns.
Calling foreign-oriented disinformation a threat to national stability, the organisation urged lawmakers to introduce a “Bill on the Criminalization of Foreign-Oriented Disinformation Against the Nigerian State.”
The proposed legislation, MPAC said, should address, the production of fabricated or unverifiable materials intended to influence foreign governments, the circulation or promotion of such materials,the use of unverified narratives in foreign lobbying, collaboration with designated terrorist organisations, and penalties commensurate with the level of national harm caused
MPAC noted that countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, China and South Korea have implemented similar measures to safeguard national security and foreign relations.
The organisation also called on Nigerians to support the push for legislation, insisting the country must not continue to “tolerate internal actors who undermine its global reputation, destabilize diplomatic relations, and misrepresent the lived realities of its citizens.”
MPAC reaffirmed its commitment to defending truth, justice and peaceful coexistence, and vowed to continue monitoring and challenging disinformation in all forms.