A video has gone viral on Twitter alongside claims that it shows a bulldozer crushing hundreds of motorcycles.
The caption of the video suggests that the motorcycles belonged to people from northern Nigeria, and were being destroyed by “Tinubu boys” in Lagos state.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the former governor of Lagos state.
The tweet which was first made in Hausa Language and translated to English in the same post claims: “This is how Tinubu and his boys destroyed motorcycles owned by northerners in Lagos, time for payback is here. Do not vote Tinubu.”
The video, which was originally shared on TikTok, shows a bulldozer crushing motorcycles with the caption “Aikin Tinubu a Legas,” roughly translated as “Tinubu’s handiwork in Lagos”
How true is this claim?
An advanced google search reveals that the same video first appeared on the internet on June 21, 2022. This video was posted by the official Youtube page of the New York City mayor’s office with the caption “Mayor Adam and commissioner Sewell crush illegal motorbikes and ATVs”
Several news agencies including the New York Mail have reported that the video shows NYC destroying nearly 100 destructive and dangerous dirt bikes at the Erie Basin Auto Pound off Gowanus Bay in Brooklyn, New York.
“The NYPD heard the call, and they did a Herculean task to get rid of these loud, intimidating and dangerous and illegal dirt bikes and ATVs that are on our streets,” the mayor said at a press conference.
“For years, we’ve witnessed what happens when they go under control or we do not enforce. They continue to grow over and over and over again.
“And I’m not going to give up on my promise and commitments to rid our streets of these bikes and make all of our boroughs a place where people can move about,” he said. “As you can see from the number of bikes here today, we are making good on our promise.”
Verdict
The claim that the viral video shows “Tinubu boys” crushing motorcycles owned by northerners is false. The original video is from Brooklyn, New York where “illegal dirt bikes” were destroyed by the mayor of New York.
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