Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
A news report shared online claimed that the current Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto Matthew Hassan Kukah recently described the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu as a prophet and a man of truth.
The ICIR sighted the story after it was shared in response to a tweet by Kanu on May 15, 2021. The story claims that Kukah referred to the separatist leader as a “prophet and a man of truth, and he now believes him.”
The story also quotes the bishop as saying, “Until the narrative changes, I will support anything coming from Nnamdi Kanu. I have said it before, let the Igbo man lead Nigeria for four years, am sure the different will be very clear.”
Who is Nnamdi Kanu?
Nnamdi Kanu is a British-based Nigerian who is fighting for Biafra secession. He is the leader of IPOB.
Kanu seeks to create an independent state for the people of the South-Eastern Region of Nigeria using IPOB.
Kanu is also the director of United Kingdom-based radio station named Radio Biafra.
He was arrested on treason charges in Lagos, Nigeria, on 14 October 2015 and detained for more than a year, despite various court orders that ruled for his release.
Kanu was released on bail from prison on April 28, 2017, after a public outcry that greeted the Buhari-led government which had ignored court orders over his release.
He relocated from Nigeria after soldiers of the Nigerian Army, in 2017, attacked his home.
He has been attacking the Nigerian government using various social media platforms.
FINDINGS
The ICIR found the claim to be FALSE.
The story was published in two online blogs: NewZander.com and 9newsng.com, on June 21, 2020.
It was also found on Youtube, Facebook, Nairaland and Twitter.
The ICIR’s checks on the website of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto that publishes all statements credited to Bishop Kukah about Kanu found no traces of the claim being shared online.
Director of Communication of the Sokoto diocese Chris Omotosho, a priest, told The ICIR that Bishop Kukah never made the claim being credited to him on Kanu.
VERDICT
The claim that Bishop Hassan Kukah referred to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu as a prophet and a man of truth and he now believes him is FALSE; the bishop denied making the claim.
A few hours after the death of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Ibrahim Attahiru in a military air crash in Kaduna, a viral statement surfaced online, claiming that he said over his dead body would there be Biafran and Oduduwa nations.
The viral statement, which surfaced online immediately after confirming his death, claimed that the COAS Lt. -Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru said he would not allow those trying to break out of Nigeria for their nations to succeed, stressing that the Nigerian Army had resolved to deal with secessionists threatening the peace of the country.
The claim published on the 23rd of March, 2021 by The Republic News and SundiataPost, and currently being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter after his death, alleged that Attahiru had said over his death would Oduduwa and Biafra emerged as new nations.
The False report being shared on WhatsApp
It is also being shared on WhatsApp with The Republican News link.
While the report on SundiataPost blog seems to have been replaced with a story about the Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s statement on the COAS’ death, it still appears on Google search.
Sundiatapost on Google search
Attahiru died in a plane crash on Friday, May 21, 2021 en route to Kaduna State.
The aircraft was conveying him and 10 others, including three brigadiers general, two majors, two flight lieutenants, two sergeants and another crew member.
According to reports, they were travelling to Kaduna State for the Passing Out Parade ceremony of newly recruited military personnel scheduled on Saturday.
FINDINGS
The ICIR found the claim to be FALSE.
Two national newspapers crosschecked by The ICIR, which reported the event on the 23rd of March, 2021, had no quote of Oduduwa Republic or Biafra in the reports being linked to Attahiru.
They reported that the late COAS had said that the Nigerian Army would soon surmount attempts by some individuals to compromise the country’s territorial integrity by the declaration of sovereignty on behalf of ethnic nationalities in the country.
Attahiru, according to the national dailies, had, during the first Commanding Officers’ Workshop 2021 with the theme, ‘Repositioning the Nigerian Army to Defeat Contemporary Adversaries’ in a Joint Environment in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, promised to deal with security threats across the country.
Late Chief of Army Staff Attahiru Ibrahim
He was reported to have said, “The Nigerian Army under my leadership would remain proactive and jointly work with other security agencies to deal with threats facing the nation decisively.
“The Nigerian Army under my watch remains resolute and is poised more than ever before to decisively deal with individuals or groups that threaten the peace, security and stability of our great nation,” he said.
Army spokesperson Mohammed Yerima’s statement released on the event did not contain the said quotes. There was also no evidence that he mentioned Biafra and Oduduwa in his speeches since he assumed office in February this year till his death.
VERDICT
The claim that the late COAS Attahiru Ibrahim, in his presentation at an Army event in Uyo, said that he would not allow Biafra and Oduduwa to emerge as new nations as long as he was alive is FALSE. Checks carried out by The ICIR did not find any documents or information where the late COAS made mention of Biafra and Oduduwa in his speech.
The statement also released by the Army after the event did not contain such reference credited to the late COAS.
A post circulating on WhatsApp claimed that the Federal Government of Nigeria has approved free online company registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for all self-employed and business owners. This, it said, is inclusive of several benefits.
This registration, the post claims, come with benefits that include a free trip to the United Kingdom, N50,000 cash, free international trade among 0thers. The post which was retrieved from a WhatsApp group on May 21, 2021, asked people to enrol for the registration via an attached web link.
The CAC was established in 1990 with the responsibility to regulate the formation and management of companies in Nigeria.
A false post shared on WhatsApp with a dubious website masquerading as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria.
THE CLAIM
The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved registration of companies online for free with benefits such as free trip to the United Kingdom, N50,000 cash, and free international trade, among others.
THE FINDINGS
The post read:
“FEDERAL GORVERNMENT HAS APPROVED All SELF EMPLOYED AND BUSSINESS OWNERS TO CARRY-OUT THEIR C.A.C(CORPORATE AFFAIR COMMISSION) REGISTRATION ONLINE FREE OF CHARGE
BENEFITS OF C.A.Cs are -Free N50,000 cash from FG -Certificate of Incorporation -Legal Liability Protection -Free International Trade -Continuity -Free Trip to UK -Reputation With Customers -Getting on FG Record. ENROL NOW.”
Checks by the FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
The FactCheckHub observed that the website attached to the claim has similar characteristics of phishing websites attached to claims previously debunked here and here.
The website attached to the claim is different from the official website of the CAC.
The website in the claim seeks to fraudulently acquire people’s information as it asks people to fill in their basic information like email, phone number, name, business name and address.
You can learn how to identify phishing websites here.
The FactCheckHub findings show that the Federal Government had in November 2020 declared open free 250,000 business names registration for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on the sector.
No fewer than 100,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) eventually benefitted from free registration then, an initiative the phishers are probably riding on to perpetuate their phishing website.
Similarly, the spokesperson of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Duke Ukaja confirmed to the FactCheckHub that the post in circulation is false.
“It did not emanate from us, it is fake,” Ukaja told the FactCheckHub via a telephone conversation.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the Federal Government of Nigeria approved the registration of companies online for free with benefits such as a free trip to the United Kingdom, N50,000 cash, free international trade among others is FALSE; the information is neither from the CAC, nor the provided registration web link is that of the CAC.
A tweet that has been shared over 500 times, claimed that Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari travelled to France to attend a summit that was already postponed.
The claim was made by Adetutu Balogun with the handle @Tutsy22 which has over 261,000 followers.
The tweet was posted alongside a screenshot of a news report which headline read ‘Africa-France summit postponed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions’.
The tweet read: The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria @MBuhari travelled for a summit that has been postponed.”
A screenshot of the claim that the President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari travelled to France to attend a postponed event.
THE CLAIM
The President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari travelled to France to attend a postponed summit.
THE FINDINGS
The FactCheckHub findings revealed that the claim is FALSE.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on May 16, 2021 departed Abuja, Nigeria for Paris in France to participate in African Finance summit.
According to the Buhari’s Personal Assistant on new media Bashir Ahmad, the African Finance summit will be focused on reviewing African economy, following shocks from COVID-19 pandemic, and getting relief, especially from increased debt burden on countries.
President @MBuhari has departed Abuja for Paris, France ahead of the African Finance Summit which will be focused on reviewing African economy, following shocks from COVID-19 pandemic, and getting relief, especially from increased debt burden on countries. #PMBinParispic.twitter.com/Th0nWWuclV
Ahmad had also on Sunday tweeted that the president had arrived France for the summit.
In addition, the France President Emmanuel Macron had on April 22, tweeted about meeting the African leaders on May 18 to discuss sustainable financing of African economies.
L’Afrique porte une part des solutions pour la planète. Nous soutenons la Grande muraille verte qui permet d’agir pour le climat tout en renforçant la sécurité alimentaire. Et nous irons plus loin, le 18 mai, lors du sommet sur le financement durable des économies africaines.
A report had also earlier stated that Buhari and some African leaders would be present at the summit in person while some other leaders and several other international organisations would be joining the summit by video conference.
A look at the news embedded in the claim Balogun made shows that the postponed summit is the ‘Africa-France summit’, which is totally different from the ‘African Finance summit’ the president travelled for.
While the summit Buhari travelled for is billed to commence on May 18, in Paris, France, the Africa-France summit, another summit entirely which was to be held in early July in Montpellier, southern France, has been pushed to early October because of travel constraints linked to the Covid-19.
The event, planned from 8 to 10 July, will now take place from 7 to 9 October 2021, the French presidency confirmed to AFP.
The FactCheckHub had earlier verified three claims made by Balogun of which two of them were found to be inaccurate.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari travelled for a postponed summit is FALSE, the summit Buhari travelled for is African Finance summit, which is different from the postponed Africa-France summit.
A Twitter post shared thousands of times claim three photos of unmarked helicopters were taken “flying over forest in Maiduguri air dropping packages”. It noted that, in one of the instances, the chopper crashed, and villagers who went to the crash site saw two caucasian men burning briefcases of dollar bills before fleeing.
This tweet is the first in a thread alleging how foreign countries – France and Chad – fuel the Boko Haram crisis, hence, frustrating the efforts of the Nigerian military.
The tweet made on May 11, 2021 read “2015. Residents in several villages talk about unmarked helicopters flying over forests in Maiduguri air dropping packages. Especially at night. In one incident they watched the helicopter crashes. Villagers ran to the scene to rescue the occupants and were stunned to see two Caucasian men burning briefcases of hundred dollar bills before running away [from] the crash site.”
Within 24 hours, the post generated almost 4, 000 shares and over 4,500 reactions. The account, Defense Nigeria news [@DefenseNigeria], which states in the bio that it is not related to Nigeria’s military has over 41, 000 followers.
THE CLAIM
The photos of the helicopters were taken while they were flying over forest in Maiduguri.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by the FactCheckHub show that the claim is inaccurate and therefore, misleading.
Maiduguri is the capital of Borno state and it forest, Sambisa is habited by Islamist militant group, Boko Haram which made global headlines in 2014 when they abducted more than 270 school girls.
For over a decade, Nigeria has been battling insurgency at it North-East region. The prolonged fight has led to numerous conspiracy theories and counter theories ranging from it was sponsored to make the country ungovernable, foreign forces involvement for financial gains or religious agenda and even political power play by western countries.
The tweet by @DefenseNigeria came at a time when visuals of some foreigners said to be mercenaries, allegedly killed by insurgents were in circulation.
Photograph of unmarked helicopter published on Voice Philadelphia, U.S.
The FactCheckHub using a Reverse Image Search Technology traced the first image to Mount Airy, a neighbourhood in Philadelphia, in the U.S where residents panicked over a low flying unmarked helicopter.
This incident happened in 2017.
The authorities of the Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) confirmed that the helicopter was monitoring transmission lines against overgrown vegetation, PhillyVoice reported
“Yes, we do helicopter patrols of transmission lines and related equipment on a regular basis,” Greg Smore, PECO Spokesperson stated. “It gives us different vantage points so we can document any conditions of concern and relay it back to the repair crews…”
It is clear that the photograph did not originate from Nigeria.
Incident surrounding the photograph of second Helicopter was also taken in the US in 2016
The second photograph did not also emanate from Nigeria but Medina County, in Ohio, U.S.
In June of 2016, residents told press that a helicopter was flying as low as 40 yards and they heard gunshots which made them panic.
At 43 seconds of the 3 minutes 18 seconds video news report by News 4 San Antonio, shows a very clear similarity with the second image shared in the tweet under verification.
The image was either a screengrab taken from the video or a still taken around the same time the video of the flying helicopter was recorded. Therefore, it is not in Nigeria as claimed in the tweet.
The photograph of the third Helicopter was taken in the US in 2019 and published in Post and Courier
Further search showed the third picture was taken in May 2019 by Schuyler Kropf for The Post and Courier Newspaper, a US-based newspaper founded in 1803.
“An FBI helicopter above the Charleston area on Wednesday, May 22, 2019,” the photo caption read.
The report was to clarify a misconception over the alleged hovering of helicopters in search of persons believed to be on the wanted list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In conclusion, the Twitter user @DefenseNigeria linking these photographs to helicopters “flying over forests in Maiduguri air dropping packages” is inaccurate and a misrepresentation because the photographs were all from different incidents that happened in the US in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
THE VERDICT
The three photos depict events that happened in the USA in 2016, 2017 and 2019. They do not show helicopters “flying over forests in Maiduguri air dropping packages”. Therefore, it is MISLEADING.
LESS than 24 hours after the announcement of COVID-19 restrictions across the country by the Nigerian Government, a video of a former National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, telling the public to ignore lockdown rumours surfaced online.
The video which was also shared on Facebook here has a comment: ‘Thanks for sharing, sir’ connotating the commenter felt it was a piece of timely and useful information.
Multiple persons have also contacted the FactCheckHub to verify the video which has gone viral especially on the WhatsApp platform since the government’s announcement on May 10, 2021.
THE CLAIM
The video shows a PTF National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu, telling Nigerians to ignore the lockdown as it is fake news.
THE FINDINGS:
Findings by the FactCheckHub show that it is an old video that resurfaced online, therefore it is MISLEADING.
In the 51 seconds video, Aliyu said “We are aware of the fake message that is going round on WhatsApp that we’ve declared a lockdown in the country. This is absolutely not true. I am calling on the general public to please ignore this message.”
This video has been online since January 2021. It was posted here on January 15, on the same date, multiple media reports referenced Aliyu’s message.
Aliyu had made the video following messages shared on social media that the Nigerian government had declared another lockdown due to the COVID-19 spike in the country at the time.
In addition, the FactCheckhub reached out to Aliyu who also debunked the the claim.
“Of course it is not true. It is an old video from January when we had to tackle rumours of a new lockdown”, the doctor said via a text message.
He added that the video talks about a WhatsApp message and has nothing to do with the recent announcement.
Furthermore, Aliyu clarified that the PTF has now transitioned to Presidential Steering Committee (PSC), while noting that he is no longer the coordinator neither does he at the moment work for the Nigeria government. He has resumed a consultancy position at a university in another country.
Aliyu stepped down as the PTF National Coordinator in March 2021.
The video circulated online.
May 2021 phased restrictions
On May 10, 2021, the Nigerian government announced restrictions across the country. This new directive is to take effect by midnight of May 11, a member of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Mukhtar Mohammed told the press.
The PSC directive is in light of the rising trend in several countries and the high risk of a surge in COVID-19 cases in Africa.
Although Nigeria has begun its vaccine roll-out, there is a shortage in global supply which translates to a delay in vaccinating a large proportion of the population.
Therefore, non-adherence to COVID-19 prevention protocols could lead to a large outbreak.
The restrictions put in place is largely due to the poor compliance to public health and social measures contained in the COVID-19 health protection regulations, specifically, on the use of facemasks, physical distancing, temperature checks in public places, hand washing and limitations placed on large gatherings, the PSC noted.
“In line with the increasing risk of a surge in cases, the PSC is re-instituting the enforcement of the COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations. This is to mitigate the risk of a spike in new cases, while the nationwide vaccine rollout continues”, this was noted in the implementation guideline for the current phased restriction of movement.
THE VERDICT:
The video in circulation is an old video; it has been online since January 2021. Thus, it is MISLEADING.
Edit Note: The report was edited on May 11, 2021 to reflect the Sani Aliyu’s response.
IN the heat of the accusations and counter-accusations that Nigeria’s Minister for Communications Isa Pantami was sympathetic to terrorists and terrorist organisations, a collage made of the pictures of the country’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, with quotes attributed to him surfaced online.
On April 22, 2021 a Twitter user, replied to a tweet about terrorism in Nigeria, with the collage which has eight quotes. The when or where the president made these statements were not indicated in the photo collage.
Aside from the tweet by @EdetZamani, a google reverse image search done by the FactCheckHub showed that the image had appeared on multiple places online which includes; Twitter here and here, Facebook here, blog here, to mention but a few.
Further checks showed that the image has been online on or before 2018.
One thing that is common at the places where the picture was shared was the allegation of President Buhari’s religious extremism and intolerance. Some tagged it “Hate speech”.
The FactCheckHub verified the comments attributed to the president and rate their authenticity or lack of it accordingly. You can read about the FactCheckHub’s rating gauge here.
The comments attributed to Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria.
CLAIM 1
I will continue to show openly and inside me, the total commitment to the Sharia movement all over Nigeria.
FINDINGS:
Media reports indicate that Buhari made this statement in 2001.
A South African online news platform News24.com in a 2001 report sourced from a news agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Buhari as saying “I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria,” and “God willing, we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country.”
A France 24 report titled, ‘Muhammadu Buhari: ‘The converted democrat?’ which was done after he won the 2015 election noted the above statement as one of the fails of Buhari.
“Why should Christians be concerned when Muslims cut off their limbs? After all, the limbs cut off are Muslim ones”.
FINDINGS:
There are several references to this statement on social media. However, the FactCheckHub did not find other sources to authenticate it aside from an article published in Vanguard Newspaper in 2014.
The article was credited to a former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode who claimed Buhari made the statement.
VERDICT:
TRUE
Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 presidential inauguration.
CLAIM 3
“No No No, Abacha did not steal Nigeria’s money”.
FINDINGS:
In 2008, Buhari noted that the late military Head of State, Sani Abacha did not loot the national treasury. This generated criticism from several quarters, including a statement from the Action Congress (AC) party issued by its then National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed.
Mohammed is the current Minister for Information under Buhari’s government.
In subsequent years, Buhari came to the defence of Abacha, and he has been repeatedly called out to tender an apology to Nigerians even as his government received recovered funds referred to as ‘Abacha loot‘.
Although the FactCheckHub could not trace the exact phrasing of the comment, the statement is consistent with Buhari’s stand on the issue.
VERDICT:
TRUE
CLAIM 4
“I can die for the cause of Islam if necessary. We are prepared to fight another civil war”.
FINDINGS:
This comment is a combination of two different statements.
A 2014 academic book edited by Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos titled ‘Boko Haram: Islamism, politics, security and the state in Nigeria’ referenced the statements.
Buhari was quoted to have said “I can die for the cause of Islam” while a former governor of a North-Eastern state in Nigeria was quoted to have added, “If necessary, we are prepared to fight another civil war. We cannot be blackmailed into killing Sharia”.
The book cited “Anarchists threaten nation’s unity”, Tell, 29 October 2001, page 36 as its source.
This comment was also referenced on page 24 of the book: ‘Violent non-state actors Africa’.
The comment is Half True because only a part of it was stated by Buhari.
VERDICT:
HALF TRUE
CLAIM 5
“The declaration of state of emergency to fight Boko Haram in 3 northern states is a grave injustice against the north”.
FINDINGS:
Former president Goodluck Jonathan had in May 2013 declared a state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states after a series of deadly attacks. This move was criticised by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) who said Jonathan’s action was a declaration of war against Northern Nigeria.
A few weeks after, Buhari echoed a similar sentiment on a radio programme.
Even though not in the exact phrasing, Buhari had described Jonathan’s action as “injustice”.
He also compared the activities and treatment of the Niger-Delta militants to those in the north who he felt got the short-end of the stick.
His comment was reported and referenced in several places including here,here and here and more recently here.
VERDICT:
TRUE
Muhammadu Buhari.
CLAIM 6
“We cannot be blackmailed into killing the Sharia idea. Sharia must be spread all over Nigeria”.
FINDINGS:
The first part of the comment “We cannot be blackmailed into killing Sharia” has been linked to a former northeast governor. However, Buhari has also called for the implementation of Sharia.
Buhari said, “God willing, we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country”. This was interpreted by some as a call for implementation across all states while those who came to his defence said it a call for full implementation in Muslim-dominated states.
The statement is Mostly False because it is partly a comment made by another person. However, Buhari had called for the implementation of Sharia.
VERDICT:
MOSTLY FALSE
CLAIM 7
“Boko Haram members should be pampered and given VIP treatment not killed. It’s Injustice to kill them”.
FINDINGS: Although not in the exact phrasing, Buhari in 2013 compared the activities and treatment of the Niger-Delta militants by the Nigerian government to those of the insurgents in the North East.
He said, “You see, in the case of the Niger-Delta militants, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua sent an aeroplane to bring them, he sat down with them and discussed with them, they were cajoled, and they were given money and granted amnesty.”
“They were trained in some skills and were given employment, but the ones in the north were being killed and their houses were being demolished. They are different issues, what brought this? It is injustice”.
VERDICT:
MOSTLY TRUE
CLAIM 8
“Muslims should only vote those who will promote Islam. We are more than the Christians if you add our Muslim brothers in the south”.
FINDINGS:
The FactCheckHub findings showed that Buhari in 2001 said people should vote for Muslim candidates.
Tell Magazine of July 30, 2001 in a special report titled, ‘Riding the Sharia Tiger’ stated that Buhari speaking in Hausa language, made the call in Sokoto at a book launch on Sharia.
A month later, this was referenced in another report.
IN April 2021, following widespread killings and attacks in Nigeria, a former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar shared a contentious infographic which showed the top countries on the 2020 global terrorism ranking. The image originated from a Nigerian television channel, TVC news.
Abubakar who was the presidential candidate of the main opposition party in the 2019 election, tweeted the graphic with the caption, “Yes, the challenges we face are enormous. But they are surmountable. What we need is the leadership and the will to do what is right for our country and its people.”
Misleading 2020 GTI index.
THE CLAIM
Infographic shows the 2020 ranking for Global Terrorism Index (GTI)
THE FINDINGS
In 2020,The FactCheckHub verified the graphic which originated from TVC and found it to be misleading.
The station on one of its programmes, ‘Journalists Hangout’ had shared it, while stating that Nigeria has emerged the top African country on global terrorism list.
The image placed Nigeria as the third most terrorised country in the world according to the 2020 GTI ranking.
The problem was that, as at September, 2020 when the programme aired, the GTI ranking for 2020 had not been released.
However, when the 2020 list was released, Nigeria still ranked third and Afghanistan and Iraq ranked first and second respectively as shared in the image.
Even though the countries on the list remained the same, the ranking for five of them had changed.
The infographic has Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, India, Yemen, Philippines and DR Congo as the top ten, the actual ranking released differs in order; Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, India, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Philippines.
Further checks showed that TVC passed an old ranking; the one for 2019 as that of 2020. The programme which started with the announcement of the ranking was uploaded on YouTube with the headline ‘Nigeria Emerges Most Terrorised Country In Africa, Ranks Worse Than Syria, Yemen, Somalia’. As at the time of this report there is nothing in the video description to notify viewers of the error.
A screenshot of the 2019 Global Terrorism Index.
THE VERDICT
The infographic showing 2020 ranking for Global Terrorism Index is MISLEADING, as the information is that of the 2019 ranking.
A FORMER Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, said that only 28 million Nigerians voted out of the 84 million people that registered for the 2019 general elections.
Moghalu made this claim in a post on his Twitter page on April 16.
Moghalu who is a former presidential candidate, on the platform of Young Progressive Party (YPP) in the country’s 2019 general election wrote: “84 million were registered to vote in 2019 and only 28 million voted. What were you expecting with such an abysmally low voter turnout? Fellow Nigerians, we as citizens are not as powerless as we think. Rise!”
THE CLAIMS
From the post the following claims were established:
84 million Nigerians registered for the 2019 general election.
28 million Nigerians voted in the 2019 election.
THE FINDINGS
CLAIM 1: 84 million Nigerians registered for the 2019 general election
Data show that the claim is TRUE.
According to the data gotten from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) website, 84 million (84,004,084) Nigerians registered for the 2019 general election.
CLAIM 2: 28 million Nigerians voted in the 2019 general election
Findings show the claim is MOSTLY TRUE; This is because the number of people who voted is slightly higher than the number Moghalu gave.
Although, Moghalu did not specify if he was referring to the presidential election but the data obtained from the INEC on the 2019 general election show that a total of 28.6 million (28,614,190) votes were cast in the last presidential election.
A screenshot of the summary of voters statistics of the 2019 presidential election in Nigeria by INEC.
THE VERDICT
The claim that 84 million Nigerians registered for the 2019 general election is TRUE, while the claim that 28 million Nigerians voted in the 2019 general election is MOSTLY TRUE as INEC data shows that 28.6 million people voted in the presidential election.
AN Irish Professor and anti-vaccination advocate, claimed in a video circulated on WhatsApp, in Nigeria, that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the lifespan of a user and cause severe health challenges like infertility.
THE CLAIM
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines reduce lifespan.
THE FINDINGS
The FactCheckHub findings show that the claim is FALSE. There is no evidence to substantiate it.
In the 57 seconds video retrieved on April 19, 2021, the Professor, Dolores Cahill stated that “Anyone who’s over 70 who gets one of these mRNA vaccines will probably be — sadly die within about two to three years.”
She added that, aside reduced lifespan, there are severe health issues. She said:
“And I would say anyone who gets the mRNA injection, no matter what age you are, your life expectancy will be reduced, you know, die if you’re in your thirties within five to ten years, and you probably will have allergy, neuro-cognitive issues, inflammation, and of course infertility is the major one.”
The video clip of Cahill which is from a longer version has been repeatedly posted on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Blogs and is branded as coming from a group called the “World Freedom Alliance,” which Cahill helped found in 2020.
Cahil is a Professor at the School of Medicine in University College Dublin. She has previously come under criticism for her comments on COVID-19, which were often found to be baseless or misleading.
The claim in the circulated clip is no different, as available information and the global health authority, the World Health Organization (WHO) dismissed it.
More so, the claim that the vaccine causes infertility have been debunked here and here.
The mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine
There are several categories of vaccines for COVID-19, the mRNA (Nucleic acid vaccine) is one of them.
It works by teaching the cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside the body.
This immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects the body from getting infected if the real virus enters.
Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen are brands of the mRNA vaccine.
The general side effects of the mRNA vaccines as stated by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on the arm are pain, redness and swelling. while for the rest of the body are tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, nausea. Reduction in lifespan is not part of it.
There were cases of blood clots which led to the suspension of one of the mRNA brand, but even that has been lifted and certified safe with a caveat.
A small number of people also had serious allergic reactions to the vaccines, this led to the CDC’s advise that individuals who have previously experienced anaphylaxis or had any kind of immediate allergic reaction to any vaccine should be monitored for half an hour after getting the shot.
The CDC also recommends against vaccination for those who have had a serious allergic reaction to any of the authorised COVID-19 vaccines or any of their ingredients.
COVID-19 mRNA vaccine infographic.
Similarly, the WHO, stated that the side effects of all the COVID-19 vaccines have been mild and moderate so far.
In addition, a professor who is a WHO Infection, Prevention and Control Expert, Adebola Olayinka told The FactCheckHub that mRNA vaccine, like every other certified vaccine does not change the genetic composition of the body neither does it reduce the lifespan of its user.
“It is not true that mRNA vaccine or any other vaccine certified by WHO can reduce lifespan or cause any other severe health issues. These vaccines have been tested and certified suitable for human consumption,” the professor stated.
The FactCheckHub had earlier debunked a claim that the COVID-19 vaccination will turn humans to vampires.
THE VERDICT
The claim that mRNA COVID-19 vaccine reduces lifespan is FALSE; there is no evidence to substantiate it.
