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Claim that Northern governors reject English as language of instruction in schools is FALSE

Abdullahi Muritala
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Claim that Northern governors reject English as language of instruction in schools is FALSE

A verified Facebook user, Chukwudi Ufondu, has posted a claim that Nigeria’s Northern governors have rejected English language as the medium of instruction in schools across the region.

His post read thus:

“Northern governors rejects English language as an instruction medium in Northern schools!”

The post has drawn multiple reactions among his followers.

READ: How true are Sanwo-Olu’s claims on Lagos budget performance, education?

 

CLAIM

Northern governors have rejected English as language of instruction in schools in northern Nigeria.

 

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE, as there is no evidence Northern governors rejected or accepted the proposal to drop English as language of instruction in schools in Nigeria’s northern regions.

The use of the English language in Nigeria dates back to the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century when British merchants and Christian missionaries settled in the coastal towns called Badagry, near Lagos in the present day Southwestern Nigeria and Calabar, a town in the present day Southern Nigeria.
The missionaries in their effort to reach out to people established schools where children were trained and the basic subject was English language. Thus, English language dominated the curriculum under various sub-heads such as reading, writing, dictation, composition and grammar.
The 1946 constitution of colonial administration first made English language the official language of Nigeria and as the language of colonial administration. On regaining political independence in 1960, English was still adopted as the official language for the country.
The 1979 constitution of Nigeria went further to approve the use of English language at the National and State Houses of Assembly; along side any of the three major Nigerian languages: Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba or language of the state in question only and only when adequate arrangements have been made to their use.
English as the official language is now the language used by government functionaries in carrying out instructions and functions in government offices. It also remains the primary language of instruction in schools, ensuring standardisation of education and national cohesion.
To verify the claim, our fact-checker did an advanced keyword search on Google. The result showed media reports including from Punch and Daily Trust that stated that Niger State governor, Muhammed Bago, advocated for the adoption of Hausa as a regional language of instruction in primary and secondary schools across northern Nigeria.

Bago stated this at the National Literary Colloquium to celebrate the 60th birthday of a literary icon, BM Dzukogi, the founder of the Hilltop Arts Foundation at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna, Niger State.

“He said English should only be taught in primary and secondary schools in the North as a subject but not as language of instruction.

“He said if adopting Hausa as a regional language of teaching and instruction would inspire enrolment and facilitate understanding among pupils and students, the northern governors should consider adopting it to reduce the rate of out-of-school children,” Daily Trust reported.

ALSO READ: How accurate is Atiku’s claim on population of social media users in Northern Nigeria?

Further checks show that there is neither evidence nor credible media reports in public domain that indicated that any northern governor has accepted or rejected the proposal by Governor Bago.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Northern governors have rejected English as the medium of instruction in northern schools is FALSE, while one of the governors urged the consideration of Hausa as a medium of instruction in schools, there is no official declaration in any of the northern states in the region.

Serving as Lagos police commissioner is NOT prerequisite for IG appointment

Abdullahi Muritala
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Serving as Lagos police commissioner is NOT prerequisite for IG appointment

AN X user, @datarpro, has claimed that only police officers who have served as a Commissioner of Police in Lagos State can be appointed as Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP).

He made the post while reacting to a post by another X user, @pidomnigeria, who announced the death of a police deputy Inspector General, Moses Jitoboh, who allegedly passed away on December 27, 2024.

READ: IGP’s ‘transmission’ video wasn’t doctored

@pidomnigeria had in his earlier post alleged that the late police officer was not appointed the nation’s IGP by both ex-President Muhammadu Buhari during his tenure and the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because he hailed from Bayelsa State. This was the origin of the conversation on the X platform.

In response, @datarpro commented:

“Get your facts right, Oga PiDOM. Before you can be an IGP, you must have been a Commissioner of Police in Lagos State. It’s a must. You can’t police Nigeria effectively without policing Lagos. I come in peace.”

The response has garnered traction on X with over 200 comments.

 

CLAIM

One must have served as a Commissioner of Police in Lagos State to be appointed as Inspector General of Police in Nigeria.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub revealed that this claim is FALSE.

The position of Inspector General of Police (IGP) is the highest rank within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and is constitutionally appointed by the Nigerian president.

According to Section 215 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) must be appointed from among serving members of the force.

Screenshot of the X post retrieved recently. INSERT: FALSE verdict.

To verify this claim, our fact-checker reviewed the Police Act of 2020, particularly Sections 7 and 8, which outline the appointment, tenure, and removal of the IGP. There is no section or subsection that stipulates a requirement for any officer to have served as Commissioner of Police in Lagos State before being appointed as IGP.

The relevant requirement as stated in Subsection 2 of Section 7, reads:

“The person to be appointed as Inspector-General of Police shall be a senior police officer not below the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police, with the requisite academic qualifications of not less than a first degree or its equivalent, in addition to professional and management experience.”

In addition, our fact-checker spoke with Ikechukwu Ani, the spokesperson for the Police Service Commission (PSC).

ALSO READ: Old video of Nigerian policemen protesting resurfaces online

Ani said the claim is false, noting that it has never been a practice in the Nigerian police.

“The appointment of the IG is at the discretion of the President, with the approval of the Police Council.

“The current IG has not held the office of Commissioner of Police in Lagos before his appointment. In fact, many former IGs have never served as Commissioner of Police in Lagos before being appointed,” he told The FactCheckHub.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that one must have served as a Commissioner of Police in Lagos State to be appointed as Inspector General of Police in Nigeria is FALSE; there is no such requirement in the Constitution or Police Act.

Bayo Onanuga makes misleading claim about Julius Debrah

Abdullahi Muritala
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Bayo Onanuga makes misleading claim about Julius Debrah

NIGERIA’s presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, has claimed that Julius Debrah was the Chief of Staff to the immediate-past president of Ghana.

Onanuga posted the claim on X (formerly Twitter) to announce the Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s arrival at the inauguration ceremony held for the newly elected Ghanaian president on January 7, 2025.

In the X post, he claimed that Tinubu was received by Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff to the outgoing president, Nana Addo Akufo-Addo.

The post which contains two photos and credited to the State House show Tinubu and Debrah. Its caption stated thus:

“President Tinubu in Ghana

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (right) arrived at the Kotoka International Airport,  Accra, Ghana, on Monday to attend the inauguration of President-elect John Dramani Mahama on January 7. Julius Debra, Chief of Staff to the outgoing Ghanaian President, received President Tinubu at the airport.  PHOTO BY STATEHOUSE” 

The post has garnered over 30,000 views, with over 100 reposts and more than 500 likes as of January 25, 2025.

Bayo Onanuga is the special adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy and he currently oversees the State House press releases.

 

CLAIM

Julius Debrah is the Chief of Staff of the immediate-past president of Ghana.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as Debrah is the current Chief of Staff to Ghanaian president, John Mahama, who was sworn-in this January.

President Tinubu alongside leaders from other African countries graced the inauguration ceremony of John Mahama after he was re-elected as the president of Ghana for the second term.

Recall that Mahama was first elected as Ghanaian president in 2012, after he had previously served as vice-president from 2009 – 2012 to ex-President John Atta Mills who later passed away in July 2012. Mahama was initially Ghanaian president from 2012 till 2017 when he lost the election to Nana Addo Akufo-Addo.

To verify the claim, our fact-checker subjected the keyword “chief of staff to president Nana Addo Akufo” to advanced Bing search. The results show that Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare was the Chief of Staff to ex-president Akufo-Addo who served from 2017- 2025.

Further findings revealed that Julius Debrah was the Chief of Staff to the President Mahama during his first tenure after he was appointed in February 2015 when Prosper Douglas Bani was removed and assigned as Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary.

Debrah was later re-appointed as Mahama’s Chief of Staff on January 6, 2025 and he received President Tinubu in that official capacity when the Nigerian president arrived Ghana same ahead of the inauguration.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Julius Debrah is the Chief of Staff to Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, the immediate-past president of Ghana is MISLEADING; Debrah is the Chief of Staff to the current Ghanaian president, John Mahama.

Davos 2025: Fact-checking Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum

Abdullahi Muritala, Fatimah Quadri and Nurudeen Akewushola
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Davos 2025: Fact-checking Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum

Following his inauguration as the 47th US President earlier this week, Donald Trump, addressed the audience virtually at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Thursday.

The WEF‘s 2025 annual meeting took place from January 20-24 in Davos, Switzerland, as hundreds of notable public figures, including scores of heads of state and government as well as global CEOs gathered for the event. The forum provides a unique opportunity for global leaders to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and explore solutions to these complex issues.

DON’T MISS THIS: What Trump’s second term means for information resilience, media credibility

This year’s WEF centres around the theme: “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.” The theme highlights the growing divisions in the global community and emphasizes the need for collective action to address critical challenges like the climate crisis, economic inequality, and geopolitical instability.

At the event, Trump spoke on various global issues including the US economic situation under the previous administration and his plans for the United States going forward. In this fact-check, we scrutinize some of the claims he made to check their accuracy and provide context.

 

CLAIM 1

Over the last 4 years, the immediate-past US government racked up $8 trillion dollars in wasteful deficit spending.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MOSTLY TRUE.

Joe Biden, the immediate-past US President, was sworn in on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 as the 46th president of the United States after he won the presidential race against Trump in November 2020.

A look at the data curated by Bipartisan Policy Centre show that the budget deficits under the Biden administration were $2.8 trillion, $1.4 trillion, $1.7 trillion, $1.8 trillion and $710 billion for the fiscal year (FY) 2021, FY 2022, FY 2023, FY 2024 and so far in FY 2025 respectively. This amounts to  $8.41 trillion.

However, we could not independently verify if the deficit spending in the last four years was actually wasteful or not.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the immediate-past US government spent $8 trillion dollars in deficit spending is MOSTLY TRUE, according to publicly available data.

 

CLAIM 2

Inflation currently stands at 50 per cent higher than the historic target.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MOSTLY TRUE.

The US Federal Reserve, the central banking system of the United States, set a long-term inflation target of 2%. This target aims to promote price stability and sustainable economic growth. By aiming for inflation that averages 2% over time, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) seeks to ensure that longer-run inflation expectations remain well-anchored at this level. 

However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly consumer price index (CPI) report, the United States’ annual inflation rate was 2.89% as of December 2024, up from 2.75% in November – 45% higher than the target. The current rate for the month of January 2025 is yet to be published; as such we can’t categorically determine its percentage as at today.

THE VERDICT

The claim that inflation currently is 50 per cent higher than the historic target is MOSTLY TRUE; findings show that it is currently 45 per cent higher than the target.

 

CLAIM 3

National energy emergency declared as part of the executive order Trump signed on his first day as US President.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is TRUE.

Immediately after his inauguration on January 20, 2025, one of the executive orders signed by Trump (according to the list of Presidential actions on The White House website) include declaring a national energy emergency. In the order, he noted that the United States’ capacity for identifying, leasing, developing, producing, transporting, refining, and generating energy and critical minerals is insufficient to meet the nation’s requirements.

Multiple media reports from The Washington Post, Reuters and The Guardian quoted Trump saying that the nation’s inadequate energy supply and infrastructure was attributed to the harmful and shortsighted policies of the previous administration, and thus exacerbates high energy prices that severely impact Americans, especially those on low and fixed incomes.

THE VERDICT

The claim that Trump declared a national energy emergency as part of the executive order he signed on his first day as US president is TRUE, according to the list of presidential actions and multiple media reports.

 

CLAIM 4

The United States has the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on earth.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

According to the United States Energy Information Administration, the US became the leading global crude oil producer in 2018 and maintained this position through 2022. U.S. oil refineries process crude oil sourced both domestically and internationally, with various types of companies contributing to the global crude oil supply.

A 2024 report by Vox noted that the United States is the world’s largest crude oil producer, reaching an all-time high in 2023 by averaging nearly 13 million barrels per day, as reported by the US Energy Information Administration.

Further checks revealed that Venezuela and Saudi Arabia hold greater oil reserves than the United States. Venezuela leads as the country with the highest oil reserves, followed by Saudi Arabia; Nigeria ranks 10th while the United States ranks 11th.

Specifically, Saudi Arabia’s proven crude oil reserves are estimated at 267 billion barrels, significantly exceeding the United States’ nearly 36 billion barrels, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the U.S. has the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on earth is FALSE; while the U.S. is the largest crude oil producer, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have more oil reserves than the U.S.

 

CLAIM 5

Biden administration imposed $50,000 in additional regulatory costs on the average American household over the last four years.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is HALF TRUE.

A report by the United States House Committee on oversight and accountability noted that the Biden-Harris Administration imposed regulatory costs nearly double those of the Obama Administration, despite having only four years to do so compared to Obama’s eight. 

The study estimates that the total regulatory burden could amount to $47,136 per U.S. household, which critics argue could negatively impact American families and the economy.

Another article by City Journal highlighted the intensity of the regulation under ex-President Biden as some estimates suggest that Biden’s regulations could lead to a lifetime cost of $47,000 per family.

Furthermore, the study highlights concerns over the regressive nature of these regulations, with low-income households reportedly bearing a disproportionately high share of the costs. In fact, the study suggests that low-income families could pay seven times more in regulatory costs compared to wealthier households, adjusting for their ability to pay.

Another report from Unleash Prosperity highlighted that, based on its main findings, the Biden-Harris administration is set to impose $47,000 in net present value regulatory costs per household from rules finalized during its first term.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the Biden administration imposed $50,000 in additional regulatory cost on the average American household over the last four years is HALF TRUE; while reports confirmed that the immediate-past US administration truly imposed additional regulatory costs, it also showed that the figure is around $47,000. That’s a difference of about $3,000.

 

CLAIM 6

Trump signs executive order to end government censorship saying the citizen speech will no longer be labeled as misinformation or disinformation.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is TRUE.

On the day of Trump’s inauguration as the 47th US president, dozens of executive orders were signed by him shortly before his official inauguration ceremony. These orders revolve around immigration, civil rights, trade, the hiring of federal workers, and U.S. foreign aid to demographic diversity.

Some of the executive orders have sparked concerns mostly among US residents and online. For instance, the order to end birthright citizenship has stirred public debates especially among immigrants in the country. Media reports also indicated that a US federal court has halted the execution of that particular order.

To verify the claim, our fact-checkers reviewed the list of presidential actions signed by Trump as published on the White House website and found out that actions to end government censorship was on the list.

Titled “Restoring Freedom Of Speech And Ending Federal Censorship,” it was among the 60 executive orders signed by Trump on January 20, 2025.

THE VERDICT

The claim that Trump signed an executive order to end government censorship on citizen speech is TRUE; the order was among the US presidential actions signed on January 20, 2025.

 

CLAIM 7

NATO defence spending was at 2 per cent.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show the claim is TRUE.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance formed in 1949 to provide collective defence and promote stability and security among its member countries.

Established to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War, NATO‘s mission includes a broader range of security concerns. NATO has 32 member countries as of January 2025, spanning from North America to Europe. These countries, called NATO Allies, are sovereign states that come together through NATO to discuss political and security issues and make collective decisions by consensus.

ALSO READ: Did Trump’s inaugural prayer service feature Muslim call to prayer?

Defense spending is the payments made by a national government (excluding regional, local and municipal authorities) specifically to meet the needs of its armed forces, those of Allies or of the Alliance.

To verify the claim of the percentage they remit to the alliance, our fact-checkers reviewed the report of NATO Alliance obtained from its official website. It was discovered that 2 per cent of all the members countries’ annual GDP is collectively agreed as the payment terms for NATO allies since 2014 and it is still the benchmark as of January 2025.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the defence spending of NATO countries is 2 per cent of their annual GDP is TRUE; data obtained from NATO website revealed.

Video of Nigerian couple arrested for child’s death in 2017 resurfaces online

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Video of Nigerian couple arrested for child’s death in 2017 resurfaces online

A video showing a Nigerian couple allegedly arrested in the United States for killing their child has resurfaced online.

The video, shared by an X user, @SizweBansi, claimed that the incident involved a Yoruba couple from Southwestern Nigeria.

The X user posted thus:

“Breaking : Yoruba couple, Olawusi Olalekan and Arinola, have been arrested for murdering their child. Olawusi, a Yoruba man from Southwest Nigeria, and his wife are now listed among the 15 most wanted fugitives in the United States.”

READ: No! Video does not show Igbos killed in Mozambique over money rituals

The post has garnered over 200,000 views plus more than 700 reposts over 1,000 likes as of January 23, 2025.

 

CLAIM

A Nigerian couple of Yoruba extraction arrested recently in the US for killing their child.

 

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the incident occurred in 2017 and not breaking or recent as claimed in the X post.

Screenshot of the viral post as seen on X. INSERT: FALSE verdict.

The Yoruba is one of the major ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, predominantly located in the country’s southwestern region.  They can be found mostly in states like Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and parts of Kwara and Kogi states etc.

Our fact-checker has observed overtime that there’s a growing divide between members of the Igbo extraction and their Yoruba counterparts (majorly from Southwestern Nigeria) on X. This has fueled ethnic-motivated misinformation on the social media platform which has been fact-checked by this medium multiple times as seen here, here and here. Such misinformation trends have been projected to rock Nigeria’s information ecosystem in 2025.

A simple keyword search on Google for “Olawusi Olalekan and Arinola” reveals that the incident was first reported in 2017.

According to a Punch newspaper report published on April 7, 2017, Arinola Olawusi (aged 33) and Olalekan Olawusi (40) were arrested in Providence, Rhode Island, after their three-month-old baby, Tobi, was found critically injured and unconscious with fractures in his arms, legs, and skull.

NBC-affiliated station WJAR reported that the police charged Arinola with cruelty and neglect, while Olalekan faced charges of first- and second-degree child abuse. The couple later fled the U.S. in 2020.

In November 2017, the baby, who had been on life support since April, died at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

The video and accompanying claim has now been recirculated in 2025 by the X user who falsely suggested that the incident occurred recently, specifically targeting the Yoruba ethnic group in what a legal counsel termed “hate speech”.

Speaking with The FactCheckHub, a Nigerian lawyer, Abdulwasiu Mujeeb noted that the post fell under the category of hate speech due to how it incited people against the Yoruba ethnic group.

DON’T MISS THIS: Viral photos do not show recent arrest of ritual suspects in Ondo State

He said: “First, we need to understand the foundation. In Nigeria currently, there is no any holistic act or enactment directly prohibiting hate speech but that doesn’t mean there’s no law or there is no section in any particular enactment or whatsoever that prohibited it. 

“For instance, the National Broadcasting Code 2016, talked about transmission of hate speech. There are also some particular sections in the Nigerian constitution prohibiting incitement of violence or breaching of public peace. These are things that can regulate hate speech in Nigeria whether there’s direct enactment or not.”

Mujeeb noted that the first attempt to criminalize hate speech in Nigeria was in 2019 with the introduction of the Hate Speech Bill, although it failed to pass at the National Assembly.

He explained that, according to the bill and some sections of the NBC Code, hate speech is defined as attempts to create obnoxious content, incite violence or hatred against specific tribes, or breach public peace through statements, tweets, and other actions.

He explained that the key criterion for identifying hate speech in this case is determining whether a statement is directed at a particular tribe. While such statements should not naturally qualify as hate speech, he observed that the post and subsequent comments clearly targeted the Yoruba tribe.

File Photo, Abdulwasiu Mujeeb, Legal Practitioner

He cited the example where the individual posted, “This is a Yoruba woman praying for their child to become a criminal at their child dedication. This will help you understand better who these people are.”

Mujeeb further noted that the same individual continued with another post stating, “Nigerians are not the same. There are particular tribes that specialize in all forms of criminality, and they are Yorubas.”

“So, it’s sufficient to say the definition of hate speech in these laws that we mentioned earlier has captured what the person has posted. The fact that some Yoruba people did something bad or committed a crime doesn’t mean all Yorubas do that. So, it suffices to say it’s hate speech.

“When you look at the comment under the post, you will realise that the person has been caught under the web of the definition. He has successfully incited violence against a tribe judging by how the people in the comment section are directing their comments towards Yoruba people,” he said.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that a Nigerian couple of Yoruba extraction have been arrested recently for killing their child is MISLEADING; the incident occurred in 2017 and has been deliberately recirculated on X to malign the Yoruba ethnic group.

Sponsored post linked to fraudulent trading platform falsely claims CBN sues Kadaria Ahmed

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Sponsored post linked to fraudulent trading platform falsely claims CBN sues Kadaria Ahmed
A Facebook page, Don Pom Polye, has published a sponsored post featuring an image purportedly showing a popular Nigerian TV host, Kadaria Ahmed, in handcuffs.
The image was placed on a fake Vanguard newspaper webpage with a headline that reads:
“Kadaria Ahmed didn’t know the microphone was on. We say goodbye to him forever. This is a sad day for all of Nigeria.”

The post has generated over 3,700 likes and some comments as of January 22, 2025.

READ: NTA page advertising Ponzi scheme is fake!

However, upon clicking the attached link, it redirected to a different webpage with a headline that read thus:

“Central Bank of Nigeria sues Kadaria Ahmed over statements she made on live television.”

This suggested an alleged legal dispute between the renowned media personality and Nigeria’s central bank.

 

CLAIM

Vanguard’s report says Central Bank of Nigeria sues Kadaria Ahmed.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE, as the report is a phishing article advertising a ponzi scheme.

Screenshot of the viral post as seen on Facebook. INSERT: FALSE verdict.
Screenshot of the viral post as seen on Facebook. INSERT: FALSE verdict.

Checks by our fact-checker revealed that the purported “Vanguard newspaper’s”  webpage differed significantly from the authentic Vanguard website.

First, the original Vanguard website places its logo at the top-left corner of the page layout, whereas the fake link positioned the logo at the top centre.

Additionally, the authentic Vanguard website includes features such as the publication date, a “News” section, and social media account links on the left-hand side of the page, while the right-hand side displays the latest news updates. These features were notably absent on the fake webpage.

A look at the fake webpage’s content showed that it misrepresented Ahmed, portraying her as endorsing a trading platform called PrimeAuroraPlatform. When users clicked the Vanguard logo on the fake webpage, it redirected them to the platform, further proving it was a phishing scam which The FactCheckHub has debunked over the years aimed at harvesting people’s details to carry out phishing attacks.

Post purportedly showing Peter Obi endorsing the fake ponzi platform.

The website frequently displays fabricated interviews between Kadaria Ahmed and public figures such as Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party’s presidential candidate; Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State and others where they purportedly endorsed the platform.

However, Vanguard newspaper has urged people to avoid the platform.

ALSO READ: Viral free flight tickets’ offers from airlines are phishing scams

Further findings by The FactCheckHub show that many Nigerian public figures such as TV host, Seun Okinbaloye, have been used to lure people to invest in this Ponzi scheme.

The FactCheckHub also searched the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) website and credible media reports for any record of litigation involving Kadaria Ahmed but found none.

Similarly, a review of Vanguard and other credible news platforms yielded no evidence of the alleged incident, thus showing that the story is a mere attempt to lure people into investing on the ponzi platform.

Recall that the FIJ had in December 2024 published a similar fact-check which showed one Arcane Trade used Kadaria Ahmed’s name and photos in a fraudulent online advert.

Earlier in September, CDD Fact-check also published a fact-check on the same claim falsely attributed to Vanguard newspaper.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Nigeria’s central bank is suing Kadaria Ahmed is FALSE. The interview is fake, and the claim is a mischievous attempt to promote a phoney trading platform named PrimeAuroraPlatform.

False claims that Mike Tyson is dead circulates on Facebook

Fatimah Quadri
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False claims that Mike Tyson is dead circulates on Facebook

A claim that a former American  professional boxer, Mike Tyson, is dead has circulated widely on Facebook.

The claim was posted on a Facebook group by a user: News US1.

READ: False claim attributed to Ngannou about boxing bout with Anthony Joshua circulates online

The post contained an image of a crashed car and two other photos of Tyson at funeral scenes alongside a caption that read:

R.I.P. Mike Tyson Just Died In The Hospital, Along With His Last Regret….see more
It has garnered over 3,300 shares with 190 comments and over 100 reactions as of January 23, 2025.
Michael Gerard Tyson, an American and former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005, is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.

CLAIM

Mike Tyson is dead.

 

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE, as Tyson was at the presidential inaugural dinner of Donald Trump as the 47th US President.

Screenshot of the claim; insert FALSE verdict
Screenshot of the viral claim. INSERT: FALSE verdict.

A keyword search with the boxer’s name “Mike Tyson” on Google provided results of media reports as seen here, here and here of Jake Paul lifting Mike Tyson on his shoulder at the inauguration dinner held in honour of Donald Trump on the same day the claim was circulating online.

Paul also posted the video on his official Instagram page and tagged Tyson.

“Best friends @miketyson,” the caption on the post read. He made the IG post hours before the viral claim circulated.

Recall that in 2024, the duo engaged in a bout which saw Paul as the winner.  Two days after the much-anticipated boxing match, Tyson disclosed that he had experienced health issues in the run-up to his fight with Paul.

“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night.  No regrets to get in ring one last time,” he wrote in a post on X.

A reverse image search of the car wreckage revealed that it was from a fatal Texas road accident, originally featured in a 2023 news report by The Guardian.

ALSO READ: Fake front-page apology to Meghan Markle circulates online

Further checks show that this claim has been debunked previously, with Tyson’s publicist, Joann Mignano, dismissing the rumors as FALSE. She told AAP FactCheck that there was “no truth to this.”

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Mike Tyson is dead is FALSE; the former boxer appeared with Jake Paul at the inauguration dinner of Donald Trump as the 47th US president on January 20, 2025.

Did Trump’s inaugural prayer service feature Muslim call to prayer?

Abdullahi Muritala
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0
Did Trump’s inaugural prayer service feature Muslim call to prayer?

A video showing a man performing the Muslim Call to Prayer at the U.S. National Prayer Service held at the Washington National Cathedral on January 21, 2025 has sparked widespread confusion online.

An Islamic blog, @IslamicStrength, shared a two-minute video featuring an Islamic cleric performing the Muslim call to prayer during the post-inauguration prayer service held for Donald Trump as the 47th US president.

READ: Is Islam the second-largest religion in the United Kingdom?

The video collage shows Trump and his wife seated among attendees, listening attentively to the prayer session. The Muslim cleric was shown in the top section of the video, while a second scene shows Trump and the audience beneath.

It was captioned thus:

“President Trump at Washington National Cathedral listening to the call to prayer.”

The video post has garnered over 2.5 million views, more than 44,000 likes with over 7,000 reposts and over 3,000 reposts as of January 23, 2025.

Also, it has sparked significant reactions online, with many, particularly Muslims, dismissing the video as fabricated.

For instance, an X user, @Idris_A_Oni, commented: “What kind of call to prayer is this? This has to be a fake video.”

Similarly, another X user, Olúwaníṣọlá Moṣerere Ọpẹ́yẹmí (@olusholaspecia) stated thus: “If this were true, it would have been everywhere. This video is fake.”

Many other users echoed similar doubts and flagged the video as fake on X Community Notes.

 

CLAIM

Video shows a man performing the Muslim call to prayer during Donald Trump’s post-inaugural prayer service.

 

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is TRUE.

On January 21, 2025, a day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, a prayer service was held at Washington National Cathedral in the United States as part of the post-inaugural events. The service was an interfaith gathering, with representatives from various faiths, including Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists, invited to participate. Each faith was given the opportunity to pray according to their tradition.

To verify the claim, our fact-checkers subjected key frames from the video to a reverse image search.

The search result revealed that the video had not been available online prior to the X post. Instead, it linked to several original videos of the prayer service, including one posted by Sky News on YouTube same day.

Sky News uploaded an hour-long video of the prayer service, which was also available on the YouTube channel of The National Desk.

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Upon careful review of the footage, our fact-checker observed that at exactly 28:04 minutes in the Sky News video, a Muslim cleric approached the podium and deliver a speech. Shortly after, at exactly 30:01 minutes, another individual performed the Muslim call to prayer. This sequence corroborated the scenes depicted in the video going viral on most social media platforms, especially X.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that a man performed the Muslim call to prayer during Donald Trump’s inaugural prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral is TRUE; multiple videos available publicly show that representatives of various faiths, including Muslims, were seen leading prayers at the event as the Muslim call to prayer was indeed part of the event.

No, Peter Obi was not invited for Trump’s inauguration

Nurudeen Akewushola
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No, Peter Obi was not invited for Trump’s inauguration

A claim that Nigeria’s 2023 Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was invited for US President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony has gone viral on X.  

An X user, @drkenon2 posted the claim with a caption that read:

“Peter Obi was invited but the BluBlu was not.”

The post has generated more than 280,000 views, with over 800 reposts and more than 3,000 likes as of January 23, 2025.

Similarly, another X user, @Chief_Ajiji posted the story with a caption thus:

“Trump’s Inauguration

Peter Obi was invited

Bola Tinubu was not invited

The world  knows exactly what happened.”

The post has generated over 400 reposts and more than 1500 likes as of January 23, 2025.

 

CLAIM

Peter Obi invited for Donald Trump’s inauguration in the US.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

The FactCheckHub reported that the topic of who was invited to President Trump’s inauguration in the United States has been a trending misinformation among Nigerian netizens. While no African Head of State was officially invited to the ceremony, there have been misleading reports suggesting otherwise.

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025, and thus returning to the White House for a second term after losing the presidency to Joe Biden in 2020.

The inauguration, held in the US Capitol Rotunda due to freezing weather, was attended by prominent figures such as Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, political allies, and thousands of supporters. His second term has sparked anxiety, especially within immigrant communities, due to his controversial executive orders on immigration.

The viral claim appears to have originated from a misleading story titled “Peter Obi Invited for Trump’s Inauguration” published by a pro-Obi news platform, Parallel Facts.

However, contrary to the headline, the story only referenced an X (formerly Twitter) post by Nenadi Usman, Chairperson of the Labour Party Caretaker Committee, who attended the event on behalf of the party. Usman later shared a picture of herself amid the audience at the stadium, not in the main hall.

According to the BBC, foreign leaders barely attend presidential inauguration in the United States. The Associated Press reported that “no heads of state have previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration.”

However, Trump’s inauguration stood unique as few foreign leaders were invited to Monday’s inaugural ceremony. This explains why most African presidents and Head of State such as the Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, were not at the event.

In the days leading to the inauguration ceremony, the Associated Press (AP) and Al-Jazeera published the list of foreign leaders who were invited to the ceremony.

The list included Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and conservative world leaders such as Argentine president, Javier Milei, and Italian Prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, to the inauguration.

Others are pro-Western former Georgia president, Salome Zourabichvili; French president, Emmanuel Macron; Ecuadorean president, Daniel Noboa; Paraguayan president, Santiago Peña; Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban; El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele; and former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro.

ALSO READ: No, Traoré did not decline Trump’s invitation to his inauguration

Major outlets like The Times and Fox5 New York corroborated these reports, detailing the invited world leaders, former presidents, and business leaders. Peter Obi’s name did not appear on any official list.

A comprehensive review of publicly available records and the official guest list confirmed that Peter Obi was not invited to Trump’s inauguration.

In addition, The FactCheckHub contacted the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko who confirmed that Obi did not receive any invitation for the occasion.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Peter Obi was invited to Donald Trump’s invitation is FALSE; publicly available records show that he was not invited.

No, Traoré did not decline Trump’s invitation to his inauguration

Nurudeen Akewushola
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1
No, Traoré did not decline Trump’s invitation to his inauguration

A claim that Burkina Faso‘s military-backed president Ibrahim Traoré rejected an invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony of the US president, Donald Trump, has surfaced online.

An X account, @AfricanHub_ posted the claim with a caption thus:

“Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso, rejected Donald Trump’s personal Invitation to attend his inauguration, citing domestic commitments and the war on Terrorism sponsored by foreign countries in his home nation, which he is actively involved in. Your thoughts on this.”

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The post has generated over 3,000 reposts and more than 18,000 likes as of January 21, 2025.

Another X user, @Joe_Bassey also posted the claim with a flyer that reads: “Invitation Rejected.”

The post has also garnered traction on the X social platform.

 

CLAIM

Burkina Faso President, Ibrahim Traoré, rejected Trump’s invitation to attend his inauguration.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE, as Traoré’s name was not among the list of foreign guests invited to Trump’s inauguration.

Screenshot of the viral post retrieved from X on Tuesday. INSERT: FALSE verdict.

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025, marking his return to the White House after losing the presidency to Joe Biden in 2020.

The inauguration ceremony, held in the US Capitol Rotunda due to freezing weather conditions, is attended by political leaders, including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Barack Obama, allies, and thousands of supporters.

His second term comes amid an atmosphere of panic, particularly among the immigrant communities in the US who now face the brunt of his ‘harsh’ immigration policy.

According to the BBC, foreign leaders barely attend presidential inauguration in the United States. In fact, the Associated Press reported that “no heads of state have previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration.”

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This explains why most African presidents and Head of State such as the Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, were not at the event. However, Trump’s inauguration stood as few foreign leaders were invited to the ceremony.

Before the day of the inauguration ceremony, Associated Press (AP) and Al-Jazeera published the list of foreign leaders who were invited for the ceremony.

The list included Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and conservative world leaders such as Argentine President, Javier Milei, and Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, to the inauguration.

Others are pro-Western former Georgia President, Salome Zourabichvili; Ecuadorean President, Daniel Noboa; Paraguayan President, Santiago Peña; Hungary’s Prime Minister; Viktor Orban; El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele; and former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro.

A thorough review of the list and other publicly available information does not show that Traore was invited for the ceremony.

An advance internet search by our fact-checker also shows that no credible media platform also reported such.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the President of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traoré, rejected Trump’s invitation to attend his inauguration ceremony is FALSE; publicly available records show that he’s not among the guests invited for the occasion.

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