On June 7, 2023, a two minutes, 50 seconds video with the caption “Boko Haram is attacking a community in Nasarawa State” was circulated across WhatsApp. The caption reads: “HRH Emir of Nasarawa cautions that we should be careful about going to farms, night journeys and avoid early morning journeys.” Verification The video was examined...
Category: Peace & Conflict
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FACT CHECK: Were several shops owned by Northerners razed in Imo community?
A video circulating on social media purportedly shows the moment shops were razed in Imo State, Southeast Nigeria. In the video posted on TikTok, it was said in Hausa that the properties being burnt belonged to Northerners in the community. As can be seen here, here, here, and here, the video has since gone viral,...
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FACT CHECK: Did Niger military leader say Tinubu government is illegitimate?
On July 30, 2023, a Twitter user uploaded an image with the caption “BREAKING: Your Government is illegitimate. I will not listen to you- General Tiani, Niger Military Leader replies Tinubu as the chairman of ECOWAS.” The tweet has garnered over 472k views as at the time of compiling this fact-check. A similar version of...
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FACT CHECK: Reducing terrorism and banditry
CLAIM: Did President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration curtail terrorism and banditry in Nigeria? CONTEXT: The outgoing President in his speech on 28th May, 2023 said, during his administration the federal government has been able to curtail terrorism and banditry in the country. He said, “As I complete my term in office, we have been able to...
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FACT CHECK: Did Iwuanyanwu say Yorubas are political rascals?
Charles Soludo, who was sworn in as the fifth civilian governor of Anambra state in March 2022, held a town hall meeting last weekend, to celebrate his first year in office. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, chairman of the elders’ forum of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, among other dignitaries,...
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FACT CHECK: Viral video shows clash in Congo, not election violence Nigeria
A viral video showing a violent clash has been making rounds on social media alongside claims that it shows a violent political crisis from the just concluded governorship elections in Nigeria. The video is being shared across multiple WhatsApp groups in Nigeria. Verification CDD Election War Room broke down the video into key frames and...
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FACT CHECK: Did OSPAC members disrupt elections in Rivers?
Viral reports from the March 18, 2023 governorship and state assembly elections, claim that members of the Onelga Peace Security and Advisory Committee (OSPAC) in Rivers State were visiting polling units in Emohua where they allegedly threatened to scuttle the election if they weren’t “settled,” A Twitter user shared this report. The post, which has...
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FACT CHECK: No election in Akete ward of Donga LGA Taraba State?
Multiple social media pages have posted photos of vandalised election materials which are claimed to be from the collation centre in Akete ward of Donga LGA in Taraba state. The posts claimed that there is no voting going on in the said ward because thugs vandalised the collation centre and made away with election materials...
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FACT CHECK: Is Kashim Shettima, the vice president-elect, on US Watchlist for terrorism?
On March 1, 2023, a Twitter user accused Kashim Shettima, the Nigeria Vice President-elect and running mate to Bola Tinubu of being on the United States’ Watchlist for terrorism. The Twitter user said, “Vice President-Elect is on US Watchlist for Terrorism. Omo”. Barely four hours after he tweeted, the tweet has garnered over 72,000 views. ...
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FACT SHIELD: 10 ways to land in jail on election day
As we prepare to cast our votes on Saturday, it is essential that we continue to be law-abiding citizens. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. To help you stay within the law, the CDD election war room has compiled a list of behaviours and actions that the law considers to be crimes on election...