The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has rubbished reports that President Muhammadu Buhari is displaying symptoms of coronavirus.

The president is believed to have been tested recently after his chief of staff, Abba Kyari, tested positive for the disease. The president’s test was negative, as was his vice president, Yemi Osinbajo.

However, the president’s closeness to his chief of staff has fueled rumours that the presidency is lying about his test result. Some rumours shared widely online indicated that the president is actually displaying symptoms, such as coughing, and is surviving on a ventilator.

However, during a media briefing on Thursday, March 26, 2020, Lai Mohammed warned the public to be careful about what they believe during the ongoing crisis.

“A section of the traditional media has also been engaging in scaremongering and irresponsible reporting on the disease.

“It is wrong to speculate on those who are positive or negative for coronavirus without any empirical information.

“In any case, being positive to coronavirus is not a death sentence, as we can see around the world.

“There is no need for the kind of scaremongering we are seeing in a section of the media,” the minister said.

Mohammed warned the media as well as Nigerians to stop spreading false stories that might hamper efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus in the country.

Nigeria has recorded 51 cases of coronavirus in eight states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).