According to the BBC, Nigerians have the largest mobile phone users population
The Nigerian Communications Commission had to assure the Nigerian population that answering mobile numbers starting with the ID 09141 would NOT kill them. This irrational fear was caused by a viral text message promising death via 09141. Some text messages stated that 7, or as many as 10, people had been killed when answering a call from 09141.
Nigerian Communications commission spokesman, Reuben Muoka, said:
“Technically, it is not possible for such a thing to happen. It is therefore unimaginable that somebody will die while receiving a call…It is only very gullible people that will believe such a rumour.”
Correspondents blame the lack of education in Nigeria, along with the population’s inclination towards superstitions, as the root cause for blindly trusting the dubious text message.
According to the AP news agency, in the past other equally unsettling text messages have made similarly outrageous claims, including that seasonal dust storms would produce acid rain that would burn people alive.
Text messaging in Nigeria seems to parallel the western superstition in chain emails that claim someone in your family will die if you don’t send the useless message along to 10 others in your address book. Though which would be more convincing: A text message promising your demise or an email guaranteeing your misfortune? At least in both instances they are easy to make disappear into the digital ether…just hit delete.
-Article recomposed from BBC news by AW.