Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has blamed sensational and misleading media headlines for the controversy that trailed the EndSARS protests, saying exaggerated reporting deepened public misunderstanding of events.

Mohammed made the remarks on Thursday during a reading of his latest book, ‘Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined An Administration’. held in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the former minister said the influence of headlines has grown significantly in the era of digital and social media, warning that many Nigerians now form opinions based solely on headlines without reading the full reports.

“The powers of headlines are so enormous,” he said.

“Unfortunately, these days, with the new technology and new media, the attention span of the average citizen has shrunk.

“The average Nigerian today doesn’t want to read any document. He runs away with the headlines, but the headlines don’t always tell the story.”

According to him, media programmes that focus primarily on headlines have worsened the situation, as audiences often draw conclusions without understanding the broader context of events.

“Most people run with the headline without even getting to the story itself,” he said.

Mohammed specifically cited media coverage following the #EndSARS protests, arguing that headlines published after the protest was dispersed by soldiers contributed to the controversy that followed.

“And it was these same headlines that made the EndSARS protest so controversial,” he stated.

“Because the day after the protest was dispersed by the soldiers, the headlines were ‘massacre at the toll gate’.

“They were giving various numbers, some said 100, some said 60, some said 40.”

He criticised what he described as a culture of sharing unverified information, particularly on social media platforms.

“Unfortunately, in Nigeria today, you send a story, nobody bothers to verify, they share,” he said.

Mohammed concluded that while headlines are an essential part of journalism, they can distort public perception when not properly contextualised, urging media practitioners and the public alike to prioritise accuracy and verification over sensationalism.

The former Minister also renewed the call for the regulation of the social media to prevent harm to individuals and society.

Mohammed compared the need for regulation to the safety mechanisms built into automobiles.

“When cars were made, they had speed gears, but they also had brakes,” he said.

“For the same reason that an unregulated social media can do more harm than good, not for the government.”

He said regulating the Social Media is not censorship but it’s a deliberate effort at protecting public well-being.

“And you can see how slowly, even the western world, they are coming back to regulate social media,” he said.

“See what happened in Australia today, where, if you are below a certain age, you don’t have access to it.

“It is for the well-being and wholeness of the country, not just for the government.”

Mohammed mentioned cyberbullying and misinformation as examples of the dangers of unregulated platforms.

“Many young people have been bullied on social media; some of them have committed suicide,” he said.

“So it’s important. We are not saying you ban it. No, regulate it. Register with the government, and let there be a code of conduct. And today, with the AI regime, we haven’t seen anything yet.

“Many homes have been broken as a result of fake news. So, we need some form of regulation.”

Explaining why he wrote the book, Mohammed said public officials owe citizens a duty to document their experiences.

“I believe that it is important for everybody who has served at that level,” he said.

How sensational headlines made EndSARS protest controversial – Lai Mohammed