Largest Nigerian airline, Air Peace, has described as false and malicious a social media posts which claimed that one of its aircraft crashed in the Western Sahara region, leading to fatalities, including the purported death of a prominent individual.
The airline in a statement by the Head of Corporate Communications, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, said it was a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation and tarnish the image of Air Peace regarding safety of passengers.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“Our attention has been drawn to multiple social media posts circulating false and malicious information that an Air Peace aircraft has crashed in the Western Sahara region, resulting in fatalities, including the purported death of a prominent individual,” part of the statement read.
“We categorically state that this information is FALSE and MALICIOUS.
“This is a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation and tarnish the impeccable safety record of Air Peace.”
The airline said the author of the post on social media has a history of disseminating false and alarming information about tragic incidents that never occured.
It pointed out that the images accompanying the false reports being circulated on social media were clearly generated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and do not reflect any real incident.
Air Peace urged the public to disregard the malicious disinformation and rely on official and credible channels for accurate information regarding Air Peace operations.
The statement added that the airline remains committed to safety standards and the well-being of its passengers and crew. “Safety is not just a priority but a fundamental precondition for all our activities,” it said.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.