On March 2, 2024, a video circulated across various social media platforms with the caption “Children protest killings of their parents by bandits for three consecutive days in Katsina.” This comes amidst recurring bandit attacks in some communities in Katsina State, North West, Nigeria. Subsequently, popular gossip blog “Instablog9ja” posted the video on X with the caption “Children protest k+llings of their parents by bandits in Katsina State.” As of the time of this report, the video has garnered over two hundred thousand views, along with over three thousand likes and retweets. There were various reactions from social media users...
FACT CHECK: How true are Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s multiple claims ahead of 2024 Edo guber poll?
A gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has made multiple claims about his local government ahead of the off-cycle election in the state. Ize-Iyamu, was initially among the 12 aspirants cleared by the party for the governorship primaries before announcing his withdrawal from the race. He made a number of claims in a recent interview on national television. Ize-Iyemu’s local government, Orhionmwon, is one of the 18 LGAs of the state where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be conducting the off-cycle elections later this year. To justify his governorship bid, Ize-Iyamu said,...
FACT CHECK: Did House of Reps propose N100,000 as new minimum wage?
CDD War Room received a claim through Check by Meedan, an online tip-line tool, that the Federal House of Representatives has proposed 100,000 Naira as the new minimum wage for workers in Nigeria. This was also claimed in a report by Intel Region titled, “JUST IN: House of Reps proposes N100,000 as minimum wage for Nigerian workers” This is coming amid the clamour for a new minimum wage following the rising prices of food items since the removal of fuel subsidies. In 2023, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, called for a salary review, noting that...
FACT CHECK: Did Edo Assembly Issue Impeachment Notice On Deputy Governor Philip Shuaibu?
On March 6, 2024, a piece of news went viral on social media, while a similar version went viral on X (formerly Twitter) that the Edo State House of Assembly had served an impeachment notice on Philip Shuaibu, the deputy governor of Edo State. This news came a few weeks after Philip Shuaibu contested a parallel primary election and was declared the winner. He stormed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters to demand a certificate of return. He was, however, not given the certificate of return as the Dauda Lawal-led governorship primary committee declared Asue Ighodalo, having scored 577 votes,...
FACT CHECK: Did Nigeria’s Minister for Women’s Affairs ask Women to ‘shut up and forgive’ abusive husbands?
A social media blog during the week reported that Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye advised women in the country to shut up and forgive their abusive husbands. Claims and counter claims over the veracity of the report have flooded social media. According to the report, Kennedy-Ohanenye, while speaking during a Conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs in Nigeria, told women to avoid trading words to prevent physical assault from their spouses. The latest controversy comes months after the minister’s apology over her comments on the sex scandal involving a professor at the University of Calabar....
FACT CHECK: Did hoodlums loot NEMA’s storage facility in Abuja?
A video is circulating on social media alongside the claim that hoodlums invaded a storage facility belonging to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Abuja and carted away food items. The video shows a crowd of people, including men, women and children, gathered within and outside a fenced building, as some individuals were taking away bags of food items from the premises. The other part of the video shows unidentified individuals on the rooftop of the building attempting to force their entry into the warehouse. Instablog9ja and Instablog9jamedia posted the video on Sunday, March 3, 2024, with the caption,...
FACT CHECK: Did Customs Comptroller General announce sale of rice across all states?
Recently, a WhatsApp user shared a picture with the caption “Go to any Custom office in your state with just your NIN and 10k for 5kg bag of Rice. Announcer- Customs Comptroller General” The message has since gone viral across social media platforms and was seen as “forwarded many times” on whatsapp Claim: Customs Comptroller- General announce distribution of 10k and 25kg bags of Rice across all states in Nigeria Verification On February 23, 2024, Vanguard News reported that “The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, will today commence the sale of seized bags of rice to the public at the rate...
FACT CHECK: How true are the claims that WhatsApp messages, audio and video calls are being recorded?
During the week, a viral message circulated via WhatsApp and shared on other social media spaces, accusing the Nigerian government of encroaching on privacy rights. The message alleged that the government was recording and storing phone conversations, tracking messages, and monitoring activities on social media platforms. Emphasizing a crackdown specifically targeting WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter, the message was accompanied by the Nigerian Coat of Arms. Verification CDD War Room traced and found that the broadcast message has appeared on the web since 2021. However, the initial broadcast did not have the image of the Nigerian Coat of Arms. Read here,...
FACT CHECK: Did The Nigerian Police Apprehend Julius Abure, Labour Party’s National Chairman?
On February 21, 2023, an X user (formerly Twitter) tweeted that Julius Abure had been apprehended by the Police. Attached to the tweet is a video and picture allegedly showing the moment he was apprehended. “BREAKING: In a dramatic turn of events today in Benin, Edo state, the Nigerian Police have apprehended Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP). The circumstances leading to his arrest are not clear at this time. However, it is widely believed to be related to the ongoing crisis within the party. Abure has faced criticism after being accused of misappropriating Party funds...
EconomyFact Check
FACT CHECK: Does video show stacks of printed naira notes in a warehouse in Northern Nigeria?
Over the week, a video circulated across various social media pages with the caption, “This is Nigeria 🇳🇬. Stack of newly printed Naira =N= found in a big warehouse in Northern Nigeria 🇳🇬” This comes amidst the continuous skyrocket of prices of goods and services across the country. Claim: Video shows stack of printed naira notes in a warehouse in Nothern Nigeria Verification On February 12, 2024, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti Corruption Commission raided and sealed ten warehouses containing assorted foodstuffs in the Dawanau area of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of the state. Amidst the rising...