Nigerian government responds to killer phone number

Nigerian government authorities have been forced to respond to a vicious rumor spread across the country via text message.

The message simply stated that after answering a phone call with the ID of 09141, your chances of dying would go up- answering the call could cause you to die, reports the BBC News.

The Nigerian Communications Commission said that a phone call causing someone to die was "unimaginable" and that the people spreading fear were "unscrupulous."

The text messages gave conflicting accounts of how many people had been killed, some stating that it was seven, other stating it was 10, according to the BBC News

Reuben Muoka, a commission spokesperson said that "it is not possible for such a thing to happen."

He went on. According to the Huffington Post, Muoka then said: "It is only very gullible people that will believe such a rumor."

This isn't the first time that text message rumors have been spread in Nigeria- some include rumors about acid rain burning people alive, other forewarn of bombings.

BBC correspondents have an explanation for the easy spread of these text message campaigns:

Poor education and superstitious beliefs lead some Nigerians to take the messages seriously, correspondents say.

Huffington Post called the number- however no one has died yet.