As voters begin the process of exercising their democratic right in the off-cycle elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states, there has been a noticeable surge in the dissemination of disinformation. One of the CDD War Room’s “soldiers of mouth” in Bayelsa State has identified and shared a widely circulated post alleging the apprehension of a thug supposedly sponsored by “Ngor Syval and Victor Isaiah of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The post in question reads, “Breaking News: APC Militants with Guns and Money were Caught!!! They were mobilized by; Ngor Sylva/ Victor Isaiah, Military has Declared curfew 5:30 pm in Brassiga Island.”

Claim 1: Is the picture attached to the post depicting an APC militant caught with guns and money?

Verification:
Our CDD War Room conducted a forensic check of the picture, starting with a Google reverse image search. The search revealed that this image is associated with a recently published news report by the Daily Post. The report covered an incident in Abia State where an individual was apprehended in November for the alleged rape of a 5-year-old girl.

The second and third images were also subjected to a Google image search, leading us to the discovery that these images originated from a Twitter account named “Zagazola Makama.” This account is recognized for sharing security analyses related to insurgency in the Lake Chad and West Africa.

Verdict:
The claim that APC militants were caught with guns and money is unequivocally false. The images presented do not align with the claim made in the post.

Claim 2:
Did the military declare curfew in Brass Island?

Verification:
The CDD War Room undertook a verification process by reaching out to an election observer physically present in the community. The observer confirmed that indeed a curfew is in effect, starting at 5:30 p.m. in Twon Brass. The observer provided additional context, explaining that a conflict had arisen between opposition parties, prompting the deployment of military personnel to the community.

Verdict:
The claim is verified as true. There is a confirmed curfew in the Brass community of Bayelsa State, initiated by community leadership in conjunction with security agencies.