By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Information minister, Lai Mohammed, says Nigerians should stop using Virtual Private Network (VPN) because it exposes them to bank fraud.
Speaking to lawmakers on the Twitter ban, on June 23, he says Twitter was banned because it became the platform of choice for those who wanted to destroy Nigeria. He didn’t show any proof.
VPN is a privately run server that provides secure browsing activity, especially the paid ones.
But Lai Mohammed says those using VPN are endangering their finances. “My advice to anybody using VPN, they should stop it, because VPN exposes your entire data, including bank accounts. I’m serious. So, if you’re using VPN and you think you are hurting Lai Mohammed, you are hurting yourself,” he says.
There were giggles in the room after Lai Mohammed claimed that the money of Twitter users could vanish in their bank accounts by using VPN. The giggles could mean that since they don’t use VPN to make bank transactions, and only use it to access Twitter, how can their money disappear?”
Lai Mohammed also advised young Nigerians to come up with an alternative App that could displace Twitter.
“I think this is a good opportunity for our resourceful Nigerians to also look at how they can have an App that can replace Twitter, and it will be patronised by all of us. We’ve received a few approaches, and we want to encourage them,” he said.
Nigerians have responded to Lai Mohammed via Twitter.
@ayemojubar said:”Lai Mohammed that doesn’t have a clue of how VPN works wanted to meet Jack of Twitter. I’m not sure Nigeria has enough data centres to store the embarrassment that awaits us.”
@Emekannaoma said: “Lai Mohammed has called on ‘resourceful Nigerians’ to start making preparation to develop an App that will replace Twitter. This is an indication that the President of Nigeria Lai Mohammed has already concluded to completely shut down twitter in Nigeria.”
@_The_immortal said: “Lai Mohammed said using VPN will expose your bank account. How did that man become a minister in a country where university education is 6yrs instead of 4? “
@honnelattee_ said: “Lai Mohammed said VPN exposes your bank account. The most uninformed minister of information in the world.”
@renoomokri added: “Lai Mohammed says we should not use VPN because it gives strangers access to our private data. Yet, this same government wants us to hand over our private data to a terror sympathiser, like Isa Pantami. A man who idolises Osama. Orisirisi that we see in this regime!”
@AishaYesufu said: “Awwwwww! Lai Mohammed is concerned about Nigerians using VPN and their account numbers exposed. Someone that is in a government where a terrorist sympathiser Pantami is minister and has exposed our lives to terrorists. Abeg pass me @hush_smoothies make i drink forget Naija wahala.”
@DrOlufunmilayo also said: “Lai Mohammed says VPN exposes people’s bank account. How is an ‘information minister’ so uninformed and unintelligent?”
