ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Residents of Gumel Local Government Area in Jigawa State converged on the council secretariat on Tuesday after a viral social media post falsely claimed that holders of COVID-19 vaccination cards would receive a N75,000 cash grant.
The rumour, which spread rapidly across WhatsApp and other messaging platforms, prompted many residents to suspend their daily activities and travel to the council headquarters in anticipation of the alleged payment.
On arrival, however, they were informed that no such programme existed, leading to widespread disappointment among those who had turned up.
The COVID-19 vaccination exercise conducted between 2021 and 2023 saw millions of residents across Jigawa State vaccinated at health centres in the 287 wards and issued vaccination cards.
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The misleading online message had directed card holders to present themselves at the secretariat to claim the purported cash grant.
One resident, Idris Sani, said he travelled about 15 kilometres from his village after seeing the message online, only to discover it was untrue.
“I saw on WhatsApp that Corona card holders will collect N75,000 today. I came early but found nothing here,” he said.
Another resident, Maryamu Salisu, said she was misled by the information.
“The rumour was that the government wants to pay vaccinated people. I brought my card, but officials told us it’s fake news,” she said.
The Gumel Local Government Council dismissed the claim, describing it as false and without foundation.
“The news has no basis at all. No government agency announced any N75,000 grant for COVID-19 card holders,” Special Adviser to the Chairman on New Media, Hussaini Gumel, said.
He urged residents to disregard the message and verify information before taking action, adding that efforts were ongoing to sensitise the public against misinformation.
The Jigawa State Ministry of Health also denied any such scheme.
“No ministry of health programme is disbursing N75,000 to Corona card holders. This is misinformation,” the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Sagir Nayaya, said.
He advised the public to rely strictly on official sources for accurate information and to confirm reports before sharing them.