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NFC sets up situation room for Anambra election

Fatimah Quadri
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NFC sets up situation room for Anambra election

THE Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition (NFC) has launched situation rooms ahead of the Anambra State governorship election slated for Saturday, November 8, 2025.

This was made known in a statement by the coalition on Friday, November 7 2025.

According to the coalition, the situation rooms, located in Abuja and Lagos, will coordinate efforts to monitor, verify, and counter misinformation and disinformation that could trigger unrest, discourage voter participation, erode public trust, or influence the outcome of the election.

READ ALSO: Six common misconceptions about BVAS, IReV voters should know ahead of Anambra election

Operations will begin in Lagos and Abuja on Friday, November 7, continuing through Sunday, November 9, 2025.

Bamas Victoria, Acting Coordinator of the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition (NFC) and Editor at The ICIR, emphasised the coalition’s vital role in combating misinformation in an era where false information can easily be weaponised. She commended the coalition’s efforts to promote media literacy and ensure a safer, more credible information space.

Commenting on the media literacy reports released by the NFC as part of its pre-election activities for the Anambra poll, she noted that the feedback so far underscores the importance of the coalition’s work.

“These reports, which were amplified by multiple media houses, had a real impact. Someone who read one of the articles on electoral offences told me they were not even aware of some of the issues highlighted in the report before reading it.

The NFC’s work helps enlighten citizens about the electoral process, thereby promoting civic participation. And for us to achieve good governance, we need an informed and active citizenry,” she said.

Bamas expressed confidence in the work that the NFC will do and its impact on this election.

David Ajikobi, Africa Check’s Nigerian editor, noted that the emergence of a new INEC leadership makes the upcoming election and the NFC’s role in it particularly significant.

READ MORE: Anambra election : Why INEC may postpone voting in some areas —  what it means

“With the new leadership at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other factors, we consider the Anambra state election significant. As a result, we as fact-checkers are paying close attention.

We are monitoring the media space, both online and offline, fact-checking and verifying the claims, and publishing reports to ensure the integrity of information surrounding the election,” Ajikobi highlighted.

Kemi Busari, DUBAWA Editor said the coalition aims to curb the spread and impact of election-related false information. He noted that misinformation has increasingly influenced recent elections and added that the NFC plans to counter such claims through coordinated fact-checking efforts during the Anambra poll.

“We’ve seen in recent years how election-related misinformation and disinformation significantly impact the process and outcome. We are trying to mitigate this by consolidating our resources to fact-check fraudulent claims during elections. We hope to do another solid job with the Anambra election,” he concluded.

READ ALSO: “We can’t do this alone”: Nigerian fact-checkers teamed up to debunk politicians’ false claims at this year’s election

Formed in June 2022, the coalition comprises three signatories of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN)—Africa Check, The FactCheckHub, and DUBAWA—alongside other partners including the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR), the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), FactsMatterNG, Digital Africa Research Lab, Round Check, WikkiTimes, and FactWatch.

The NFC debunked dozens of false information about Nigeria’s 2023 general elections and off-cycle state elections in Ondo and Edo, leveraging effective collaboration among researchers, fact-checkers, editors, data analysts, and social media specialists.

The coalition’s model has been adopted in other countries like Ghana and South Africa.

While the NFC monitors the electoral process, members of the public can send claims on WhatsApp – +234 903 078 5265.

Pre-election LIVE-CHECK for Anambra 2025 governorship election

FactCheckHub
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Pre-election LIVE-CHECK for Anambra 2025 governorship election

AHEAD of the Anambra State 2025 Governorship Election slated for Saturday, November 8  our team of journalists, researchers, fact-checkers, social media monitors, editors, and OSINT experts are on ground at the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition’s (NFC) Election Situation Rooms located in Lagos and Abuja, to debunk election-related misinformation and disinformation content targeted at causing voter apathy, inciting violence or influencing the outcome of gubernatorial poll.

Do you have an election-related claim you want us to fact-check?

Share with the NFC via WhatsApp here.

This page is constantly being updated with verified checks. Kindly scroll downward to read them.

CLAIM 1

No evidence, Anambra governor declared Friday public holiday for teachers to serve as delegates

CLAIM: An X user @mr_niceguy234 claimed Anambra state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has declared a public holiday on Friday, Nov 7, 2025, because teachers are to serve as delegates during the election. 

FINDINGS: News reports confirm that the Anambra state government had declared Friday, November 7, 2025, a public holiday for all workers in the state, not only teachers. In a statement, the state government said the directive was to encourage workers to actively participate in the elections. 

NFC sources, Mboho Eno of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, and Alfred Ajayi, a senior journalist in Awka, said the claim could not be substantiated.

“From interactions, there is no official evidence to back up the claim as of now,” Mboho told NFC.

Also, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Queen Agwu, said she could not confirm the claim.

Further checks showed that the claimant has deleted the tweet.

SOURCES: TheCable Newspaper, Election observers, INEC REC

DATE: 7/11/2025

FACTCHECK AUTHOR: Elizabeth Ogunbamowo

EDITORS: Lois Ugbede,  Motunrayo Joel, and Simbiat Bakare

CLAIM 2

Use the index finger to vote

CLAIM: A Facebook post urging votes for the Labour Party claims, “All you need is your voter’s card, index finger, and ballot paper,” with a graphic saying, “Use the index finger to vote.”)

FINDINGS: The 2023 election voting procedure document does not specify any finger for voting. Also, ahead of the 2019 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) addressed claims about which finger should be used for voting. In a tweet on February 12, 2019, INEC clarified: “A voter can use any finger to vote but must ensure the mark is clear and placed inside the box of the chosen political party without straying into another box.”

VERDICT: MISLEADING

SOURCE: INEC

DATE: 7/11/2025

FACTCHECK AUTHOR: Allwell Okpi

EDITORS: Motunrayo Joel & Opeyemi Kehinde

CLAIM 3: 

Security uncovered plans by Ukachukwu Nicholas to disrupt Anambra Guber Polls 

CLAIM: A Facebook user claimed that security operatives in Anambra State have uncovered how Ukachukwu Nicholas, APC candidate in Saturday’s Anambra governorship election, planned to use fake police and thugs to disrupt polls in Nnewi South & North, Ihiala, and Onitsha South local government areas. 

FINDINGS: The Anambra State Police Command dismissed the allegation. Its spokesperson, Ikenga Anthony, refuted claims that APC candidate, Ukachukwu Nicholas, planned to use thugs or fake security agents to disrupt the election, stating, “There is no such thing happening here.” Further checks showed that several media outlets reported on Friday that robust security arrangements had been made to ensure a peaceful election in Anambra. For example, Channels Television noted the deployment of heavy security to escort election materials across LGAs, while The Punch reported tight security in Awka as residents prepared to vote on Saturday.

VERDICT: INCORRECT

SOURCES: Police, Channels TV and Punch newspaper 

DATE: 7/11/2025

FACTCHECK AUTHOR: Idris Kamal Ibrahim 

EDITORS: Opeyemi Kehinde & Motunrayo Joel

 CLAIM 4: 

CLAIM A: An X user claims that Anambra’s voter turnout has hardly exceeded 22% in any election.

FINDINGS: An analysis by Premium Times of past Anambra voter turnout reveals that in the 1999 election, 1.02 million of the 2.2 million registered voters participated, representing a turnout of 46.4%. Similarly, the state recorded 47.22% turnout in the 2003 election. These findings also align with a recent report published by the Guardian newspaper. 

VERDICT: INCORRECT

SOURCES: Premium Times, Guardian newspaper.

DATE: 7/11/2025

FACTCHECK AUTHOR: Sunday Awosoro.

EDITORS: Opeyemi Kehinde & Motunrayo Joel

CLAIM 5: APPROVED

There’ll be voting in 5,118 polling units out of the 5,200 in Anambra state. 

CLAIM: A Facebook user claims that the November 8, 2025, Anambra State governorship election will be held in 5,118 out of 5,200 polling units in the state. 

FINDINGS: Multiple media reports quoted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, as saying, “the election will be held in 5,718 of the 5,720 Polling Units in the state. Voting will not take place in the remaining two Polling Units due to the absence of registered voters.”

VERDICT: INCORRECT

SOURCES: INEC, Thisday, Channels TV

DATE: 7/11/2025

FACTCHECK AUTHOR: Allwell Okpi 

EDITORS: Opeyemi Kehinde & Simbiat Bakare

CLAIM 6

Soludo removes Arabic texts on Naira notes as CBN governor 

CLAIM: An X user asserts that Charles Soludo removed Arabic inscriptions on banknotes in Nigeria when he was the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). 

FINDINGS: A review of multiple media reports shows that the Nigerian government removed the Arabic [Ajami-derived] phrases on the lower domination of the bank notes in February 2007, citing a move to deepen national unity. Additionally, a check on the official website of the nation’s apex bank reveals that Soludo was the governor of the CBN in Nigeria at the time the shift was made. 

VERDICT: CORRECT

SOURCES: TheCable, New Yorker and CBN. 

DATE: 7/11/2025

FACTCHECK AUTHOR: Mohammed Taoheed 

EDITORS: Opeyemi Kehinde & Simbiat Bakare

CLAIM 7: 

Did governorship election hold in Anambra 2days ago? 

CLAIM: An X user claims that a governorship election was held somewhere in Anambra two days ago.

FINDINGS: The “United States of Biafra Government,” now coordinated by Ngozi Orabueze after the arrest of Simon Ekpa in Finland, organised what they described as a county governorship election on November 4th, 2025.

The secessionist group had previously issued threats to prevent any Nigerian-led elections in Anambra State. However, days before the scheduled November 8th election, the group instead proceeded to conduct its own poll in rural communities around Anambra.

While recent videos showed that this event occurred, it had no connection to the November 8 election, which is being coordinated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

VERDICT: MISLEADING.

SOURCES: X Videos, INEC, 

DATE: 7/11/2025

FACTCHECK AUTHOR: Sunday Awosoro.

EDITORS:  Bamas Victoria, Lois Ugbede, & Simbiat Bakare

Claim 8

Will Anambra election real-time result dashboard be the first in Nigeria? 

Claim: An X user, Biafra First Son, claimed that Anambra’s governorship election will feature Nigeria’s first real-time result dashboard powered with artificial intelligence.

FINDINGS: Multiple media platforms revealed that the AI-powered dashboard, built by SoftSmart Enterprise Solutions, will read and process official result forms (EC8A) uploaded to the INEC’s IReV from 5,720 polling units across 326 electoral wards in the state. The process will last approximately 30 seconds, with an accuracy rate of over 95%. The system also includes an Election Night Analytics Suite, which will generate trend projections, regional performance breakdowns, and turnout estimates using live data. 

VERDICT: CORRECT

SOURCES: Daily Trust, Punch Newspaper

DATE: 7/11/2025

FACTCHECK AUTHOR: Phillip Anjorin

EDITORS: Bamas Victoria & Simbiat Bakare

Image does NOT show Ribadu meeting with service chiefs after Trump’s military action threat

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Image does NOT show Ribadu meeting with service chiefs after Trump’s military action threat

AN image showing the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, meeting with service chiefs has surfaced online with a claim that it followed the threat by the President of the United States to take military action over alleged Christian Genocide in the country. 

An X user, Mohammed Jammal, with the username @whitenigerian, posted the photo with a caption :

“NSA, Service Chiefs Meet Over Trump’s Directive on Nigeria.”

The post has generated over 500 reposts and more than 2,000 likes as of November 6, 2025.

CLAIM 

Photo shows NSA meeting with service chiefs after Trump’s threat.

screenshot of the viral post

 

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

On October 31, Trump redesignated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ in response to allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed,” Trump said.

Subsequently, the US president asked the United States department of war to prepare for “possible action” to wipe out Islamic terrorists in Nigeria.

In a Truth Social post, he warned the Nigerian government to act fast to end the “killing of Christians” in the country.

However, checks by The FactCheckHub show that the photo in circulation predates Trump’s pronouncements of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.

A Google Reverse Image search showed that the image had earlier been shared (archived here) by an X account, @JarmariØ1, on October 28. The picture was also used in a news report published on the same 28 by Blue Print newspaper, that same day it was also used in a Facebook post by a user Buhari Sallau.

A Google Reverse Image search showed that the image had earlier been shared (archived here) by an X account, @JarmariØ1, on October 28. The same picture appeared that day in a news report by Blueprint newspaper (archived here) and in a Facebook post by user Buhari Sallau (archived here).

Meanwhile, Trump redesignated Nigeria CPC on October 31.

According to the different instances, the NSA met with service chiefs who were recently appointed after alleged coup attempts on how to align military operations with the President’s national security objectives.

VERDICT 

The claim that the image shows Nuhu Ribadu meeting with service chiefs after Trump’s meeting. The meeting was with newly appointed service chiefs and predates President Trump’s military action threat.

 Video does not show Tinubu’s response to Trump’s military action threat

Nurudeen Akewushola
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 Video does not show Tinubu’s response to Trump’s military action threat

A video circulating on social media falsely claims to show Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responding to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to take military action against Nigeria over the alleged persecution of Christians.

The short clip shows Tinubu while addressing the audience, saying: “We have no fear of whatever Trump is doing.”

An X account, @IMC_BRGIE, posted the video with the caption:

“Nigerians have no fear of whatever Trump is doing.”

The post has attracted over 1,000 views and more than 80 reposts as of November 5, 2025.

A Facebook account, Don Bliss Annie, also posted the video with a caption: “Breaking News….. President Bola Tinubu has finally Replied Donald Trump. Omg”. 

CLAIM

Video shows Tinubu responding to Donald Trump’s threat to take military action in Nigeria.

Screenshot of the viral post

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

Trump, in a Truth Social post later shared on the official White House X handle, announced that he had designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), citing what he described as “an existential threat to Christianity.”

“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ — but that is the least of it,” Trump wrote.

Citing alarming figures, he added: “When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done. I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me. The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries.”

The post immediately stirred outrage and confusion in Nigeria, prompting a string of official responses from the presidency, ministries, lawmakers, and the president’s media aides.

However, checks by The FactCheckHub show that the viral video predates Trump’s November 2 remarks by two months. A longer version of the clip was uploaded by Channels Television to YouTube on September 2, 2025, with the title “Nigeria Has Met Revenue Target, Not Borrowed Locally — Tinubu.”

In the full video, Tinubu was addressing visitors at the Presidential Villa about Nigeria’s economic progress. The line about having “no fear of whatever Trump is doing” was made in that context and not in response to any recent U.S. statement.

Trump’s threat came much later, during a campaign rally where he warned of possible U.S. military intervention in Nigeria.

VERDICT

The claim that the video shows Tinubu’s latest response to Trump is MISLEADING. The video was recorded in September 2025, not after Trump’s November remarks. It was about Nigeria’s economy, not a response to Trump’s threat.

No, Nigerian army did not recycle old rescue photos

Fatimah Quadri
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No, Nigerian army did not recycle old rescue photos

A claim that the Nigerian Army is using old pictures to portray a recent achievement is circulating on the internet.

The claim originated from an X user, @unkleAyo, who quoted a post by the Nigerian Army announcing the rescue of two kidnapped victims and the recovery of ransom. The Army’s post was made on Monday, November 3, 2025.

The claimant attached a screenshot of a Google Lens search result showing several previous appearances of the same image, alleging that the Nigerian Army had recycled old photos to create a new narrative.

READ ALSO : Video does not show recent army mobilization against Turji-led bandits in Sokoto

Accompanying the screenshot was a caption that read:

You people have rolled back to snatching random pictures from the internet & reporting it as rescue updates. How are you reporting updates from 9 months ago? What level of incompetence have you descended to? God, WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE?

Since the inception of the post on Monday, November 3, 2025, it has garnered over three hundred views, 7000 likes, and 3400 reposts.

CLAIM

Nigerian Army uses old pictures to represent recent feats

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!

Screenshot of the claim; Insert FALSE verdict
Screenshot of the claim; Insert FALSE verdict

When the claimant’s image was closely examined, it showed that the post being referred to allegedly made nine months ago, was originally shared by an X user, @bummiearo.

However, a search through the user’s handle revealed no such post since January. The user also publicly denied making the post.

“Please stop lying against me. I never posted such an image. Why can’t you search through my posts from January till date?”, Bummiearo stated.

The Nigerian Army has also debunked the claim, clarifying that the images were recent. In an official statement, the Army noted that metadata attached to the photos confirmed the date, time, and location of the rescue operation.

According to the statement:

Troops of 12 Brigade deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Oguma on 2 November 2025 successfully rescued two kidnapped victims, and images from the operation were duly released through an official Nigerian Army press statement. Regrettably, certain unpatriotic elements have circulated doctored and misleading versions of these photos, falsely alleging that they were recycled from an earlier incident—an entirely baseless and malicious claim.

Further checks by The FactCheckHub showed that when the image was subjected to a Google Lens search, it returned results from eight months to over a year ago, including posts from the Nigerian Army’s official Instagram page. However, clicking on the linked results led to unrelated content, indicating that the visual match did not correspond with the actual context of the photos.

READ ALSO : Why you should not trust every screenshot

How Google Lens works 

Google Lens uses a combination of computer vision, optical character recognition (OCR), and natural language processing (NLP) to analyse images. It identifies objects, translates text, and finds visually similar items by comparing images to Google’s vast web database.

While Google Lens and standard Google Search may return similar results, differences can occur due to factors like time, context, and personalisation. Lens focuses on visual matches, while Google Search relies on textual and contextual signals such as metadata, location, and user history.

For example, Google Lens might correctly identify a rare plant, but the linked webpage could be a general gardening site mentioning that plant among others, broadening the search context.

Differences can also arise if an image is complex or low-quality, causing Lens to misinterpret the main subject. The initial preview might be based on the system’s most probable guess, but clicking the link engages a more complex search engine that might not confirm that guess, resulting in different results.

READ MORE: No, video does not show Nigerian soldiers recently attacking civilians in Imo

THE VERDICT

The claim that the Nigerian Army uses old pictures to represent recent feats is false; the Army’s official statement confirms that the pictures were taken during a recent rescue operation on November 2, 2025. Although a Google Lens search returned older results, these were unrelated and based on visual similarities rather than the actual context of the images.

Cambodia uncovers 2,810 fake news cases in nine months

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Cambodia uncovers 2,810 fake news cases in nine months

CAMBODIA’S Information Ministry says it has uncovered 2,810 cases of disinformation and misinformation linked to incitement, assaults, and border issues within the first nine months of the year.

According to Cambodianess, which is operated by Cambodian Media Broadcasting Corporation, Information Minister Neth Pheaktra raised concerns over the surge and urged media stakeholders to help curb the spread of fake news.

According to him, 2,122 of the cases were related to border issues.

Pheaktra said the ministry’s Anti-Fake News Commission has rolled out new measures to combat disinformation. These include stricter enforcement of press laws to strengthen ethics and professionalism, training programmes for journalists, and a nationwide anti-fake news campaign.

He added that the commission has improved its response system by ensuring that official information is released to the public promptly and accurately.

The minister appealed to citizens and journalists to keep supporting the campaign against fake news.

“Fake news must be buried by real news. If you see fake news, don’t overlook it,” Pheaktra said.

“You can join the campaign to eliminate the news by giving the real news, accurate and trustworthy with credible sources in forms of picture, videos or text.”

He said the best way to counter fake news is to make sure verified information takes over the newsfeed quickly.

“We must not let the fake news spread for a long time. The longer it is available, the more risks it’ll bring,” he added.

It remains unclear whether the incidents were genuinely related to fake news or were instead attempts to stifle freedom of expression and silence dissenting voices, given the country’s record of media crackdowns.

Cambodia’s press freedom ranking fell 10 places in just one year, now standing at 161 out of 180 countries, according to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index that was released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 2.

This decline from a ranking of 151 in 2024 indicates a “very serious situation” in the country.

For instance, in July, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ reported that two Journalists, Pheap Phara and Phon Sophea, were charged with treason while awaiting trial in custody, after they were detained following reporting on the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict.

No hidden airport for cocaine smuggling in Argungu, Kebbi State

Fatimah Quadri
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No hidden airport for cocaine smuggling in Argungu, Kebbi State

A claim that a hidden airport was built in the middle of the Argungu forest in Kebbi State has been circulating online.

The claim originated from an animated video shared by a TikTok user, @donclo14, which alleged that in 2019, investigators uncovered a secret two-kilometre airstrip in Kebbi State.

According to the video, the facility was allegedly built by a Customs officer, Ibrahim Musa, who used it to smuggle cocaine from Colombia into Nigeria, reportedly moving drugs worth over ₦50 billion before being caught in a military raid.

ALSO READ: Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport has NOT been sold to China!

The transcribed audio of the video reads:

Did you know that a government official built his own private airport just to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria? In 2019, farmers in Kebbi state stumbled upon something impossible in the Argungu forest: a fully operational runway two kilometers long, hidden deep in the wilderness, complete with fuel storage tanks, cargo equipment, and pilot quarters. Assistant Comptroller Ibrahim Musa had spent four years secretly building this airstrip. He used his position in the Nigeria Customs Service to import construction equipment duty-free under fake agricultural permits. Columbian pilots flew direct routes from Bogota, carrying 500 kg of cocaine per flight. Musa provided official clearance documents, allowing drugs to enter Nigeria completely undetected. When satellite imagery revealed suspicious aircraft activity, investigators grew suspicious. The Nigerian Air Force launched a coordinated raid just as a cocaine shipment was being unloaded. captured 12 aircraft, 2 tons of cocaine, and detailed flight logs. The evidence showed Musa had smuggled 50 billion naira worth of drugs over four years. His private airport processed more drug traffic than some official international airports.

The video was uploaded on Monday, October 20, but had gained traction and circulated on other social media apps on Thursday, October 29.

Since its inception, the claim has garnered over 2,000 likes, 93 comments, and 443 saves.

CLAIM

Private airstrip in Argungu, Kebbi State linked to cocaine smuggling operation by government official.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!

Screenshot of the claim; Insert FALSE Verdict
Screenshot of the claim; Insert FALSE Verdict

From the video, the narrator claimed that the Nigerian Air Force launched a raid in Kebbi State, seizing several consignments of cocaine from a secret airstrip. The incident, however, was not reported by any credible news outlet.

The Kebbi State Government has dismissed the video, describing it as a malicious attempt to mislead the public.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, 29 October by a media aide to the governor, Yahaya Sarki, said the video was entirely fabricated and aimed at discrediting the state.

“The entire content of the video is false, fabricated, and aimed at discrediting and tarnishing the good image of Kebbi State and its government,” the statement read.

Sarki emphasised that there has never been any incident of drug trafficking or illegal airport operation in Argungu Local Government Area or any other part of the state.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the only existing airport in Kebbi State is the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi. Argungu does not have, and has never had, any airport, airstrip, or related facility,” he clarified.

He further explained that all names and characters mentioned in the viral video were fictitious and that no security agency, including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) or the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has any record or ongoing investigation related to such claims.

The NDLEA also debunked the claim, describing the purported two-kilometre “Argungu forest airport” as AI-generated content.

Addressing journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday, the NDLEA Commander in Kebbi State, Rabiu Sokoto, said investigations showed that neither the alleged forest nor the supposed airstrip existed

“We directed our men to investigate the so-called airport and forest in Argungu, but we discovered there was nothing like that,” Sokoto stated.

READ ALSO : False claim that Nigerian govt bans ‘Ghana must go’ bags at all airports circulates online

Further verification using Google Earth revealed no forest or airstrip in Argungu. Searches only showed the city area, with no indication of any airport infrastructure.

THE VERDICT

FALSE. There is no publicly available evidence to support the claim that a private airstrip in Argungu in Kebbi State is linked to a cocaine smuggling operation.  The claim has been debunked by the state government, NDLEA, and a satellite view did not show any airstrip in Argungu.

No, image does not show ABU hostel

Nurudeen Akewushola
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No, image does not show ABU hostel

AN X account, @ABUInsight, has posted an image claiming it depicts the Danfodio Hall of Residence at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

The post featured a photo of a modern multi-storey hostel building with the caption: “Danfodio Hall of Residence, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.”

The post (now deleted) had garnered over 400 reposts and more than 3,000 likes.

READ : Video does not show RECENT helicopter crash in Ghana

CLAIM

The image shows the Danfodio Hall of Residence at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

screenshot of the viral post

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

Danfodio Hall is indeed one of the student hostels at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

However, a reverse image search reveals that the building in the viral photo is actually located at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) in Accra, Ghana.

The structure is a 1,664-bed student hostel, commissioned in 2023 and named after Nii Amon Kotei, the renowned artist who designed Ghana’s Coat of Arms.

READ ALSO : Are these photos of university hostels in Ghana?

The ultra-modern hostel complex has facilities such as a recreational area, study/reading rooms, Junior Common Rooms (JCR), a laundry area, TV rooms, automated teller machines (ATM), a modern security system, CCTV cameras, an elevator, and other auxiliary amenities.

In contrast, Danfodio Hall at ABU is an older male hostel and bears no resemblance to the multi-storey structure shown in the claim.

VERDICT

The claim that the image shows Danfodio Hall of Residence at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, is MISLEADING. Findings confirm that the building is actually the Nii Amon Kotei Student Hostel at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Ghana.

Image does not show cybertruck on farm in Kenya!

Fatimah Quadri
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Image does not show cybertruck on farm in Kenya!

An X account, RN Media Services, has posted an image showing a Cybertruck and motorbikes on the field with a claim that a Tesla CyberTruck has been spotted on a farm in Kenya.

The caption read:

“A Tesla Cybertruck valued at KSh 25 million has been spotted on a farm in Moiben, Uasin Gishu County.”

Since the post was shared on Thursday, October 30, 2025, it has garnered a significant amount of traction.

READ ALSO: Viral video showing Yahaya Bello inside car is NOT recent

A look at the post also shows some users in the comments section believed that some users shared stickers of excitement and “history in the making” in the comments section.

CLAIM

An image shows Tesla CyberTruck in a farm in Kenya

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub indicate that the claim is MISLEADING!

Screenshot of the claim; INSERT Misleading Verdict
Screenshot of the claim; INSERT Misleading Verdict

A Google Reverse Image Search led to other instances of the image on Facebook, including a post made on Wednesday, October 29, by a user, Crowther Gondew, who captioned it:

Wizkid & Davido use this car for their music videos to impress their fans. Boss Kefiano Kefas Ropshik carry am go farm. Capacity overload.

Further checks on the mentioned user’s profile revealed that Kefas Ropshik is a farmer based in Plateau State, and does social work via  Kefiano Foundation, which supports community development initiatives on the Plateau.

READ ALSO: Photo of yam market set ablaze in Plateau is MISLEADING!

Additional findings showed that the original version of the image was a video, which Ropshik had uploaded himself as part of a series of similar farm-related posts on his page.

THE VERDICT

The claim that an image shows a Tesla CyberTruck in a farm in Kenya is misleading; the image is from a farm in Plateau, Nigeria.

Catfish Incorporated: How disinformation infrastructure turned into dating scam network

Fatimah Quadri
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Catfish Incorporated: How disinformation infrastructure turned into dating scam network

AN investigation has revealed that infrastructure once used for Russian disinformation campaigns is now being repurposed to promote large-scale dating and cryptocurrency scams through a network of obscure advertising systems and offshore companies.

The investigation, published by Qurium and titled “Catfish Incorporated: How the Dating Scam Industry Works,” revealed that servers linked to the bulletproof hosting provider Aeza, also known as Evilempire or Lethost, were used to host domains tied to both Russia’s Doppelganger disinformation network and fraudulent dating sites.

The traffic from these sites is distributed using a traffic distribution system (TDS) known as Los Pollos, which redirects users through smart links to pre-landing pages that promote various scams.

According to the findings, Los Pollos was also connected to Vextrio, a large ad-tech network used for distributing malicious traffic, scams, and unwanted applications. The overlap suggests that the same infrastructure supporting disinformation campaigns also fuels global online fraud, revealing how digital advertising systems can be manipulated for exploitation.

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The research also identified a complex web of intermediaries, including affiliates, black advertisers, and concealed operators who profit from these scams while hiding behind shell companies registered in jurisdictions such as Cyprus, Malta, Hong Kong, and the Marshall Islands. Victims are typically lured through online ads or spam messages to pages branded as Loveme, OnlyOne, or FlirtUp, before being redirected to fraudulent dating services.

“One we had discovered that Los Pollos was a core player in dating scams – distributing traffic between publishers and advertisers – we decided to explore who the Concealed Advertisers were – hiding their legal names behind obscure off-short companies in Hong Kong, Cyprus, Malta, and the Marshall Islands, ” the report stated in part.

Over the past year, researchers identified at least four major organisations using Los Pollos’s infrastructure for dating scams: Meet Us Media (Nexxie Group), Traffic Partner (Digital Performance), Adsempire (Detailed Graphics Kft/Howlogic Kft), and Mirelia (Alziator Commercial/MediaScythe).

At the centre of the operation is the Nexxie Group, a Cyprus-based conglomerate running companies like Meet Us Media Ltd, Redwalking Ltd, Merchsuite Ltd, and Elevven 11 Ltd. One of its branches, VDesk, recruits freelancers to pose as romantic interests and keep victims engaged through fake profiles.

“A fascinating discovery was to see the recent inclusion in the Terms and Conditions of the websites operated by Meet Us Media (Nexxie Group) stating that the company operates fake profiles (flirt bots) designed to enhance the user experience. This disclaimer seems to contradict how these websites are promoted and advertised. A sample list of over 100 domains leading to sites operated by the Nexxie Group is available here” the investigation noted.

Since the initial exposé by Qurium in November 2024 with its “Doppelganger” investigation, Los Pollos has continued operating, moving its infrastructure and rebranding its hosting network under new names, including the Swiss Innovative Arts and Technologies Institute (SIATI).

Investigators say the changes reflect a pattern among cybercriminals who adapt quickly to evade detection while maintaining the same fraudulent activities

Another company identified as part of this ecosystem was Traffic Partner BV / Digital Performance GmbH, operating from the Netherlands and Germany. Researchers linked hundreds of dating and subscription websites associated with Ultimate Enterprises Ltd, a Hong Kong-registered shell company, to Traffic Partner’s infrastructure.

The investigation revealed that the company’s websites share common technical footprints, including hosting within CQ International BV (AS25418), the use of Cloudflare DNS, and registration through InterNetX GmbH, suggesting a unified backend system.

The investigation also identified Adsempire, operated by Hungary’s Detailed Graphics Kft (formerly Howlogic Kft), as a major player in the scam ecosystem. The company, owned by Ukrainians Anastasiia Bilotserkovets and Liudmyla Kachalovska, promotes “subscription trap” dating sites associated with Together Networks, a Malta-based company accused of misleading users with fake profiles and hidden charges.

The infrastructure behind Together Networks traces its roots to Cupid Plc, a former UK-listed dating company that collapsed in 2013 after journalists exposed its use of fake profiles to trick users into paid subscriptions. Though Cupid Plc sold its assets, investigators found continuity between its old infrastructure (codenamed “Phoenix Platform”) and today’s Antheia Services Ltd in Cyprus, which now hosts hundreds of dating domains.

READ ALSO: How Facebook Ads fuel phishing scams in Nigeria

The investigation uncovered 470 active domains connected to Antheia, all running similar designs and backend systems. Many of the payment processors linked to these sites operate under fake identities or use Cyrillic characters to mask their true corporate names.

The final network identified involves Mirelia, an advertising company linked to MediaScythe Ltd, registered in the Marshall Islands. The company is connected to Alziator Commercial Ltd, a Cyprus-based entity associated with Andreas Soteriou and Roman Khmelnytskyy. Mirelia promotes dating sites through Los Pollos and operates a network of shell “web development” firms, such as Ornelio and Braelynn Holdings Ltd, to conceal its ownership.

Despite multiple exposures, Los Pollos and its affiliates continue to operate under new brand names and hosting providers. The company’s infrastructure has migrated from C41.ch (AS6898) to the Swiss Innovative Arts and Technologies Institute (SIATI), reflecting efforts to stay ahead of detection.

The investigation concludes that these entities rely on proxy legal structures to conceal their operators and maintain plausible deniability while profiting from large-scale digital exploitation.

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