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‘Hunger’ protests: Fact-checking Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast to Nigerians

Nurudeen Akewushola and Fatimah Quadri
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‘Hunger’ protests: Fact-checking Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast to Nigerians

FOLLOWING the nationwide protests rocking Nigeria over economic hardship, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed citizens in the early hours of Sunday, August 4, 2024.

Since August 1, hundreds of Nigerians have taken to the streets to demand economic and political reforms including reversal of some government policies. The protests which began peacefully, later turned violent in many states leading to deaths of some Nigerians and destruction of properties.

Tagged “10 days of rage,” or “End Bad Governance in Nigeria”, the protests have led to the trending of hashtags like #EndBadGovernance, #EndBGIN, #EndBadGovernance2024 and #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria on multiple social media platforms, especially on X for days.

Media reports on Thursday (August 1) indicated that the #EndBadGovernance protest kicked off in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Borno, among other Nigerian states.

The ICIR is providing LIVE UPDATES from the scene of the protests across the country here.

The Nigerian government’s policies such as the removal of petrol subsidies and the floating of the naira have brought more economic hardship on most Nigerians as the nation’s inflation rate rose to a 28-year high in June 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Addressing Nigerians via a nationwide broadcast in the early hours of August 4, President Tinubu highlighted some of the achievements recorded by his administration in the last 14 months to cushion the effects of economic hardship on the citizens.

The FactCheckHub team monitored the Nigerian president’s broadcast on Channels TV and examines the veracity of the claims in his speech as shown below:

 

CLAIM 1 

Nigeria has increased crude oil production to 1.61 million barrels per day.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

According to the latest data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production stood at 1.276 million barrels per day (bpd) in June 2024 based on data submitted by the Nigerian government which is an OPEC member.

OPEC gathers data on crude oil production from direct communication from member countries and secondary communication, such as energy intelligence platforms.

This represents an increase of just 25,000 barrels daily from 1.251 million barrels bpd recorded in May 2024.

According to secondary sources, Nigeria retained its position as the largest oil producer in Africa with 1.362 million bpd in June 2024 closely trailed by Libya which produced 1.2 million bpd for the same month.

Although the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, in May 2024 said that Nigeria’s crude oil production was approaching 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd). He did not explicitly said that the country had achieved the feat.

THE VERDICT

The claim by Tinubu that Nigeria has increased crude oil production to 1.61 million barrels per day is FALSE; OPEC’s July report shows that it’s 1.362 million bpd in June 2024.

 

CLAIM 2 

Nigeria has cleared all legitimate outstanding foreign exchange obligations of about $5 billion.

THE FINDINGS

Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is TRUE.

Nigeria has faced significant economic challenges in recent years, including issues related to foreign exchange (FX) obligations and debt service ratios. The country’s dependency on oil revenues and fluctuating global oil prices have exacerbated these challenges, leading to substantial FX backlogs and mounting debt.

On February 5, 2024, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, said he inherited a $7 billion foreign exchange (FX) backlog when he became the head of the apex bank in September 2023. However, it has dropped to $2.2 billion. By March this year, the CBN said it had concluded the payment of $1.5 billion and successfully settled all outstanding FX obligations.

The acting director of Corporate Communications at the CBN, Hakama Sidi Ali, disclosed that independent auditors from Deloitte Consulting meticulously assessed these transactions, ensuring that only legitimate claims were honoured.

She said any invalid transactions were promptly referred to the relevant authorities for further scrutiny.

“Clearance of the foreign exchange transactions backlog is part of the overall strategy detailed in last month’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting to stabilise the exchange rate and thereby curb imported inflation, spurring confidence in the banking system and the economy,” Ali said.

THE VERDICT

The claim by Tinubu that Nigeria has cleared legitimate outstanding foreign exchange obligations of about $5 billion is TRUE.

 

CLAIM 3

Decreased debt burden has given the Nigerian government more financial freedom and the room to spend more on funding essential social services like education and healthcare.

THE FINDINGS

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

Tinubu’s 2024 budget increased for Education compared to the previous year’s allocation. He budgeted N1.59 trillion for the education sector, representing 5.54% per cent of the total budget of N28.7 trillion. The budget, however, falls short of the 15 – 20 per cent recommendation by the UNESCO. Throughout Buhari’s eight-year tenure from 2015 to 2023, the education budget hovered between 6 and 8 per cent of total budget and Tinubu-led government has not surpassed this feat.

The same thing goes for the health sector. Tinubu allocated N1.34 trillion to the health sector, representing 4.64 per cent of the budget. This is lower in percentage than the N1.17 trillion (4.91%) health budget approved by his predecessor (Buhari) in 2023.

In what is famously known as the Abuja Declaration, Heads of Government in Africa agreed to allocate 15 per cent of their national budgets to the health sector in 2001 at a meeting in Abuja. Successive Nigerian governments have since failed to meet up with this obligation including President Tinubu’s administration.

In addition, Nigeria’s debt burden has increased contrary to President Tinubu’s claim.

The most recent data on the debt burden released by the nation’s Debt Management Office (DMO) show that Nigeria’s total public debts stood at N121.67 trillion ($91.46 billion) as of March 31, 2024 while it was N49.85 trillion as of March 31, 2023. That’s an increase of N71.82 trillion within the one year period under review, courtesy of the rising FX rate. Please note that the CBN Official Exchange Rate was US$1 to NGN460.35 as at March 31, 2023 whereas, it was US$1 to N1,330.26 as at March 31, 2024.

These were also corroborated by data from the CBN and NBS respectively.

THE VERDICT 

Tinubu’s administration has not surpassed his predecessors in terms of increased funding to health and education sectors by percentage of the total budget, though there’s an increase in the sum allocated to each sector in the 2024 budget. Also, the claim that Nigeria’s debt burden has decreased is MOSTLY FALSE.

 

CLAIM 4

N45.6 billion has already been processed for payment to students and their respective institutions as loan.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub revealed that the claim is UNPROVEN.

President Bola Tinubu enacted an initial version of the student loan policy in June 2023 to grant interest-free loans to students.

NELFund opened the loan application portal on May 24, 2024 following which a pilot phase to serve federal tertiary institutions began.

On August 2, 2024, two days before Tinubu’s address, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) announced that only N2.5 billion (N2,530,235,750) had been disbursed so far to the Nigerian students.

It also said a total of N442.4 million has been allocated as upkeep allowance to the applicants for July 2024 in six universities.

In an X post on August 5, NELFUND said it is diligently working to commence the payment process for students from approximately 55 additional tertiary institutions.

However, The FactCheckHub could not independently ascertain that N45.6 billion has been disbursed to all participating students as claimed, due to insufficient data available.

THE VERDICT 

The claim that N45.6billion has already been processed for payment to students and their respective institutions as students’ loan is UNPROVEN due to insufficient data available.

 

CLAIM 5

The Consumer Credit Corporation with over N200 billion has been established.

THE FINDINGS

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

Before the announcement made by President Tinubu during the live broadcast, Nairametrics reported that he had approved the launch of the first phase of the consumer credit scheme which would be implemented in phases.

Screenshot of the registration details of CreditCorp's website on WhoIS domain platform..
Screenshot of the registration details of CreditCorp’s website on WhoIS domain platform..

Media platforms such as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Nairametrics reported the news on Sunday August 4th 2024 which was culled from the President’s speech.

Also, a Google search conducted online shows that the name of the credit corporation Tinubu mentioned is the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation. A lookup on the website on whois. Domain tools shows that the website was created 125 days ago.

However, findings showed that the amount rolled out for the scheme was not specified on the website.

THE VERDICT

The claim that the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation has been established with over N200 billion is MOSTLY TRUE; the scheme was announced initially and its website was created in April 2024, though there’s no proof that the agency has been funded with the amount reported for the scheme.

 

CLAIM 6

Fertilisers have been distributed to farmers in Nigeria.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is TRUE!

In May 2024, Daily Trust reported that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security announced the commencement of the distribution of 2.15 million bags of fertiliser donated to it by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The minister of Agriculture noted that the move was to prepare for the wet farming season which is targeted at enhancing food security in the country.

Also in July 2024, Premium Times reported that during a plenary session, Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, noted that there was an ongoing plan to distribute about 60 fertiliser trucks to each state through the governors while commenting on a motion sponsored by Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) to urgently address the country’s impending food insecurity.

On July 31, 2024, the Punch reported that the Oyo State Government, in partnership with the federal government, announced the distribution of 21,000 bags of various fertilizers to more than 10,500 farmers across the state at no cost.

Olasunkanmi Olaleye, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, highlighted that this initiative aims to boost crop productivity, enhance food security, and increase the income of rural farmers. He emphasized that the state government is dedicated to improving agricultural productivity and supporting farmers’ long-term growth and success.

THE VERDICT

The claim that FG distributed fertilisers to farmers in Nigeria is TRUE; multiple media reports confirm the distribution of fertilisers to farmers in some states.

#EndBadGovernance protest: X users share old photo of Nigeria’s police spox armed with machine gun

Salako Emmanuel
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#EndBadGovernance protest: X users share old photo of Nigeria’s police spox armed with machine gun

As the ongoing nationwide ‘hunger’ protest tagged ‘End Bad Governance protest’ in Nigeria entered its fourth day, a photo showing the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, fully armed has been circulating online, particularly on X alongside a claim that he was armed against unarmed Nigerians.

An X user, @kunmydrey, shared the photo with a caption that read:

PhotoOps.
Dressed up for the battle of his life against unarmed Nigerians.
What a clown
#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria

In the photo, Adejobi was seen wearing a Police uniform with helmet and armed with a special General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and bandolier (chain ammunition or bullet belt) hanged around his neck while pointing his fingers in a direction.

The post has garnered over 170,000 views, with more than 6,000 likes, over 3,900 reposts and over 500 comments as of August 4, 2024.

The same photo was also shared on Instagram by a user, @naijaeverything, same day with another caption thus:

“Ah ah!! This “load” too much nah all because of protesters!! Nah Rambo pattern be this oh!”

The photo has since gone viral on social media amidst the protests by Nigerians to end hunger and economic hardship in the West African nation.

 

CLAIM

Photo shows NPF spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, armed with machine gun against ‘End Bad Governance’ protesters.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by this fact-checker show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the photo was first shared by Adejobi himself on March 13, 2024.

Screenshot of the post retrieved from X. INSERT: Misleading verdict.
Screenshot of the post retrieved from X. INSERT: Misleading verdict.

He has also debunked the viral claim via his X account, @Princemoye1, on Sunday, August 4, 2024.

In his X post, the cop stated that the photo was taken when the Inspector General of Police (IGP),  launched the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) in Abuja in January 2024.

“This is a very old picture. It was taken when the IGP launched the SIS Special Intervention Squad in Abuja in January 2024. It was an operation against the bandits and kidnappers who were terrorising Abuja, not against the protesters as being speculated.

“The Force PRO was never on the field during the protest. I have been in the situation room at the Force Headquarters. It’s a fake news and handiwork of mischief makers. Disregard. Am sure many here know and can testify. We have been peaceful during the protest. And we will remain peaceful. Even at the height of provocation, we exercise restraint and peaceful, professional, humane. Thanks,” Adejobi wrote on X.

Thus, the photo is about 5 months old and been recirculated on social media as recent.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the photo shows NPF spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, armed with machine gun against ‘End Bad Governance’ protesters is MISLEADING; the photo is about 5 months old.

Dino Melaye shares misleading video of Tobi Amusan at Paris 2024 Olympics

Fatimah Quadri
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Dino Melaye shares misleading video of Tobi Amusan at Paris 2024 Olympics

A former Nigerian lawmaker, Dino Melaye, has posted on X a footage that shows the Nigerian athlete, Tobi Amusan, partaking in a race alongside a claim that she won two gold medals at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics in France.

In the 72-second footage, eight female athletes were seen running the 100 metres hurdle race with Tobi Amusan who was ahead of other athletes, as the commentator eulogised her while she cut through the finishing line to emerge the winner of the race.

READ: Dino Melaye, Instablog9ja share false claim on Nigerian agencies scrapped

Amusan could be seen celebrating after she won the race while her medal was presented to her.

Part of the footage’s audio transcribed below read:

… Tobi Amusan! look at the clock, I cannot believe it, she’s done it again, two world records in one night and she makes history by becoming Nigeria’s first world champion. What a way to do it! what a stage on which to discover sporting immortality, records can be broken, titles would stand a test of time and tonight she’s done both, two world records!, 12:06, tonight would never be forgotten by anybody lucky enough to be here that was [sic] extraordinary. we doubted she could do it again, how dare we? Nigeria, the proud African nation are on top of the world tonight. 

Melaye’s post on X was accompanied with a caption thus:

Tobi Amusan, Nigeria’s hurdles sensation made history last night at the ongoing Paris Olympics Games. She shattered not one, but TWO world records in a single evening, leaving the world in awe. Congratulations to Tobi Amusan on this incredible feat.

The post has also garnered over 830,000 views alongside more than 11,000 likes, over 2,900 reposts and over 800 comments as of August 3, 2023.

The 2024 Olympics which is currently ongoing in Paris, France kicked off on Friday, July 26, 2024 and would last till Sunday, August 11 2024.

Tobi Amusan, is a Nigerian track and field athlete who specialises in the 100 metres hurdles and also competes as a sprinter. She leads the Nigerian delegation to the Paris Olympics and would also participate in the track and field events.

 

CLAIM

Video shows Tobi Amusan participating in the 100 metres hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the footage posted by Melaye has been online since July 2022.

A Google reverse image search conducted on some screenshots from the footage shows that the video was from the World Athletics Champions that took place in Oregon in July 2022 where Amusan won the Gold medal for the women’s 100 metres hurdles.

Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: Misleading verdict.
Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: Misleading verdict.

Amusan set a new world record in the game’s semi-final, clocking it at 12.12 seconds, and improving her mark for the championship round, the AfricaNews reported on July 26, 2022.

A similar video was also posted by Channels TV on its YouTube page the same July 26.

Further checks also indicated that the same video was posted by an X user, @femii_p, on July 25, 2022 as seen here.

Recall that the track and field events of the Paris 2024 Olympics started on August 1, 2024 with the men and women 20 km race walk finals followed by the Decathlon, round 1 of the 100 metres women, and 1500 metres men.

It would run through till August 11, 2024 with the women 100 metres hurdles beginning on August 7, 2024. Thus, the race mentioned by Melaye is yet to hold as at today.

ALSO READ: Did any African country win men’s basketball game at the Olympics since 1996?

When The FactCheckHub reviewed the Paris 2024 medal table on its official website, Nigeria was not listed there as of August 3, 2024.

Similarly, the BBC reported zero medal for Nigeria on its Paris Olympics 2024 medal table as of August 3, 2024.

The FactCheckHub had previously debunked claims posted or shared by Senator Dino Melaye as seen here, here and here.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the video shows Tobi Amusan participating in the 100 metres hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympics is MISLEADING; the video is from Amusan’s sterling performance at the World Athletics Championships held in July 2022.

#EndBadGovernance: Dele Momodu posts video from Kenya to depict protest in Niger State

Nurudeen Akewushola
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#EndBadGovernance: Dele Momodu posts video from Kenya to depict protest in Niger State

A prominent Nigerian journalist and publisher, Dele Momodu, has posted an aerial video that shows a large crowd protesting on a busy street to depict the ongoing August nationwide protest in Niger State.

The video, shared on Instagram on August 1, 2024, has an inscription that read thus:

“Niger Today. Niger State. No going back”.

READ: #EndBadGovernance: False claims circulate that protest has been postponed till October 1

The video has had over 100,000 plays, with almost 6,000 likes and over 150 comments as of August 3, 2024.

 

CLAIM

Video shows #EndBadGovernance protest in Niger State.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the video is from the recent protest in Kenya held in June 2024 over the proposed tax bill.

Our fact-checker traced the source of the video posted by Momodu to a TikTok user, @cp_ontop_. The user shared the video on Thursday, August 1; it has since gone viral on the social media platform.

However, further analysis showed that the video depicts the recent protest in Kenya over the proposed tax bill. An earlier version of the video was shared here by a TikTok user, on June 20, 2024.

One of the billboards seen in the video also bears the name “Nakuru”, a city located northwest of Nairobi in Kenya.

Dele Momodu's video post retrieved from Instagram. INSERT: Misleading verdict.
Dele Momodu’s video post retrieved from Instagram. INSERT: Misleading verdict.

Reports showed that residents of the city gathered in various areas to protest against the Finance Bill 2024 and the high cost of living in June 2024. Pictures taken at the actual location during the protest can be seen here.

Recall that perennial insecurity, high inflation and hike in cost of living, among other reasons, have pushed many Nigerians to the streets as part of a 10-day nationwide protest which started on Thursday, August 1 and billed to end by August 10.

Aggrieved Nigerians, who are mostly youths, took to the streets since Thursday with placards bearing different inscriptions, including “End Bad Governance” and “There is Hunger in the land,” The ICIR reported.

The ICIR also reported that the first day of the protests turned violent in some parts of the country, including Kano and Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital.

 

THE VERDICT 

The claim that the video shows #EndBadGovernance protest in Niger State is MISLEADING; the video depicts Kenyans protest against finance bill in Nakuru, Kenya.

Did any African country win men’s basketball game at the Olympics since 1996?

Fatimah Quadri
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Did any African country win men’s basketball game at the Olympics since 1996?

A claim that no African country has won the Olympics men’s basketball game since 1996 has gone viral on the internet.

The claim was made by an X user, @Joe__Bassey, following the victory of South Sudan over Puerto Rico on July 28, 2024 in their debut game at the ongoing Paris Olympics in France.

The post read:

No African nation at the Olympic men’s basketball has won a game since 1996 until South Sudan came in. A win for mama Africa.
The post has since garnered over 600,000 views, plus more than 55,000 likes and over 6,700 reposts as of August 2, 2024.

READ: Despite deepfake concerns, Olympics 2024 to embrace AI

The claim has gone viral on other social media platforms and could also be seen here and here.

CLAIM

No African country has won a game at the Olympics men’s basketball since 1996.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub indicate that the claim is FALSE, as the Nigerian men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, won two matches at the London 2012 Olympics and Rio 2016 Olympics respectively.

Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: False verdict.
Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: False verdict.

The Nigerian men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, won their first game against Tunisia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, UK. D’Tigers won with the final scores of 60-56 at the opening game of Olympic men’s basketball competition. Both African teams made their debuts in the Olympic men’s basketball game, VOANews and Channels TV reported.

This made them qualify to the next rounds with Lithuania. However, Lithuania beats Nigeria with the final scores of 72-53.

ALSO READ: Claim that Nigeria’s basketball team, D’Tigers now rank 4th in the world is MISLEADING

Also, the Nigerian men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, won their match against Croatia at the 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This gave them a shot to qualify for the quarterfinals of Olympics men’s basketball where they played against the host country, Brazil. However,  D’Tigers lost to Brazil in a 69-86 game, their 5th match in group B.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that no African country has won a game at the Olympics men’s basketball since 1996 is FALSE; Nigeria’s men basketball team, D’Tigers, won two games at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics respectively.

UPDATED: Old video of #EndSARS protest shared as new amid August protests

Fatimah Quadri
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UPDATED: Old video of #EndSARS protest shared as new amid August protests

EDITOR’S NOTE/CORRECTION:

*The headline has been updated to reflect context.

 

A video that shows an armed robbery scene that happened on Bode Thomas Street, in Surulere area of Lagos State has been circulating online alongside a claim that it is recent and linked to the August protests in Nigeria.

An X user, @Atentemente, shared the 133-second footage with the claim on July 28, 2024.

In the footage, passersby could be seen amidst some ruins and damaged properties while someone could be heard describing the incident.

READ: #EndBadGovernance: False claims circulate that protest has been postponed till October 1

Part of the footage’s audio transcribed read:

…This is Bode Thomas street in Surulere where there is massive robbery yesterday, all the whole offices both Samsung, everything broken carted away, the men of police just arriving, everything,everything carted away. This is Bode Thomas (in the background) soro soke! everywhere, the whole shops, individual shops destroyed, everything destroyed… This is Igwe shop, everywhere vandalised, no pin, nothing, this is not the protest we are talking about, this is completely armed robbery, this is robbery, everywhere from beginning of Bode Thomas down to Shoprite, the whole shops all the valuables, nothing is left, everything, this is sheer wickedness…

The footage also had the caption that read:

This is Bode Thomas Surulere where armed robbery took place yesterday it maybe due to the hardship , but I don’t want the children of the roasted to use it as propaganda that it’s from any protest
The X post has since garnered over 700,00 views with more than 5,000 likes, 3, 400 reposts and over 400 comments as of August 1.
The claim was also circulated on WhatsApp, but with a different caption thus:
To those that are supporting a riot thinking it’s a protest, this is what happened just yesterday at Adeniran Ogunsanya street surulere Lagos. This is just a preamble protest process ahead of main protests in August. It’s not yet first of August. It’s not yet first of August these is just a preamble of what to come . I think those that have families and loved ones in Nigeria of these developers of Lagos are planning.

 

CLAIM

Video shows recent robbery scene in Surulere, Lagos few days to August protest.

 

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the video has been online since 2020.

A Google reverse image search conducted on screenshots taken from the footage led our fact-checker to earlier versions of the footage’s thumbnails and video on X.

Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: Misleading verdict.
Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: Misleading verdict.

For instance, a screenshot from the video was posted by an X user, @AyoOyalowo, in November 2020. The image was part of a series of thread posted by the X user on the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests that engulfed Nigeria in 2020.

“This was what was left of the Samsung outlet at Eric Moore junction of Surulere. The frame two is the Carcass of Shoprite Surulere,” the caption read.
Recall that violence broke out in Nigeria in October 2020 following the #EndSARS protests, which started out as a nonviolent protest against the nation’s Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad’s (SARS) brutality against citizens.
Lagos was particularly affected during the #EndSARS protests especially following the Lekki massacre of October 20, 2020 as the protest became more violent amidst widespread rioting, looting, and arson. This was reported by the BBC, Aljazeera, VOA and other credible media platforms.
Credible media reports also stated that the looting happened at Eric Moore and Bode Thomas streets in Surulere, Lagos. The Nation also used a screenshot from the video as its featured image on its report.

READ: Video does not show youth’s clash with traditionalists over August protest

When our fact-checker carefully examined the footage’s audio, someone was heard yelling “Soro Soke” therein, which was the official theme associated with the #EndSARS protests in 2020.

Further checks online show that there is no report of any robbery incident in Surulere days to the August protest as such would be widely reported.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the video shows recent robbery scene in Surulere, Lagos few days to August protests is MISLEADING; the video is from a looting scene in Surulere following the #EndSARS protest that happened in October 2020.

#EndBadGovernance: False claims circulate that protest has been postponed till October 1

Fatimah Quadri
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#EndBadGovernance: False claims circulate that protest has been postponed till October 1

A claim that the #EndBadGovernance protest billed for August 1 -10 has been circulating on social media, particularly on WhatsApp.

The claim stated that the protest has been shifted from August 1 to October 1, 2024 if the demands made by members of the Good Nigerian Movement was not met.

READ: How information disorder heightens tension, confuses public during crisis

Part of the WhatsApp post read:

PROTEST SHIFTED TO OCTOBER 1ST WITH THE FOLLOWING 7 CONDITIONS TO GOVERNMENT
We the Nigerian people under umbrella of GOOD NIGERIAN MOVEMENT hereby wish to announce our collective intention to halt any form of protest within Nigeria and shift it to next 2 months of 1st October if the following conditions are not met by our government.

1. That Nigeria Government Must temporally remove all import duties on food and food items due to the present hunger in the land. Government must provide incentives for farmers in this planting rainy season and secure our forests to protect farmers from terrorists and preserve their crops by storage during harvest.

2. That Federal Government having removed fuel subsidy over a year MUST strictly start now to making crude oil available to our local refineries in naira as promised on 29th July 2024 at the Federal Executive Council meeting Abuja. We cannot allow International Oil Companies IOC and NNPC or anyone to keep us in perpetual importation of refined Petroleum products at high price while we keep exporting our raw crude. Our local refineries must work now.

3. That Nigeria Government at all levels MUST remove all the fuel queue at all the filling stations across the country by making the petroleum products available at reasonable price. This will further positively affect price of food and commodities in our markets to be reduced.

4. That Nigeria Government at all levels MUST begin payment of the approved 70,000 Naira minimum wage to workers across Nigeria and making sure it is enforced. Even though the minimum wage has low purchasing power due to high inflation rate now but we look forward to a better economy soon.

5. That Nigeria Government at all levels MUST begin full implemented of the laudable pronouncement of Local Government Autonomy by Supreme Court to allow for development to all local areas.

6. That all FIRS taxes and Electricity Bills have to be restructured and made conducive for business growth, manufacturing and production of local goods to avoid killing our local manufacturers.

7. That We the Good Nigerians and our leaders should imbibe the culture of live , used and buy Made in Nigeria Products so as to encourage our naira to become stable and grow our economy.

NIGERIA WE HAIL THEE !
Signed:
GOOD NIGERIAN MOVEMENT – GONIM

Another press statement purportedly issued by the Omoyele Sowore-led ‘Take It Back Movement,’ another group backing the protest, which said the protest has been shifted to October 1 have also been circulating online.

The press statement read:

NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT OF PLANNED PROTEST
Dear Nigerians,
Due to prevailing security threat conditions, we, the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance and hunger protest, can no longer guarantee the security of lives of Nigerians who will come out tomorrow.
In light of this, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the #EndBadGovernance Protest to October 1.
The safety of our citizens is paramount, and we cannot compromise on that.
We will continue to monitor the situation and work towa ds a peaceful and secure protest on the new date.
SIGNED
Damilare Adenola
Director of Mobilization

 

CLAIM

#EndBadGovernance protest has been shifted to October 1, 2024.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!

Screenshot of the claim appearance; INSERT; false verdict
Screenshot of the claim retrieved from WhatsApp. INSERT: False verdict.

A keyword search on the keywords ‘Good Nigerian Movement’ to ascertain the authenticity of the press statement did not yield any result.

Also, the list of demands in the press statement that was circulating on WhatsApp did not tally with the ones made by most of the groups publicly backing the protest.

Image of the protest demands being circulated widely on social media platforms.
Image of the demands by the protesters being circulated widely on social media platforms.

The ‘Take It Back Movement’ (TIB Movement) has also debunked the claim of postponing the protest via its X account, describing it as “Fake News”.

“DISREGARD! They have started with their propaganda and false narratives,” the X post by the TIB Movement read.

READ: Old video of Kano incident used to depict ‘hunger’ protest in Abuja

Media reports on Thursday (August 1) indicated that the #EndBadGovernance protest has begun in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Borno, among other Nigerian states.

The ICIR is providing LIVE UPDATES from the scene of the protests across the country here.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the #EndBadGovernance protest has been shifted to October 1, 2024 is FALSE; credible media reports show that the protest has taken off in some Nigerian states.

Misleading claim on women dressing attributed to Saudi PM resurfaces online

Fatimah Quadri
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Misleading claim on women dressing attributed to Saudi PM resurfaces online

A claim that the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed ibn Salman, has permitted women in Saudi Arabia to dress however they wish without approval from their male spouse or sibling has resurfaced on the internet.

An X user, @EuropeInvasionn, posted the claim on July 27, 2024 alongside a photo collage of the prince and Rumy Alqathani, a Saudi Arabian model who is part of the contestants for Miss Universe 2024 billed for later this year. It read thus:

Prince Mohammed bin Salman:

From now on, women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they want without male permission.

The X post has garnered over 8.2 million views with more than 12,000 reposts and over 107,000 likes, plus more than 3,000 comments as of August 1, 2024.

READ: Clip of Salama Mohamed speaking about abuse on a podcast is NOT about her divorce

Mohammed bin Salman is the heir apparent to the Saudi Arabian throne. He is currently Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He is the seventh son of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and grandson of the nation’s founder, King Abdulaziz.

 

CLAIM

Mohammed bin Salman says women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they wish without male permission.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the Saudi prince was quoted out-of-context.

A Google search conducted on the keywords “Prince Salman Saudi Arabia Women Dressing” shows some media reports and fact-checks indicating that the Saudi prince indeed spoke on women’s dressing in Saudi Arabia during a CBS News‘ interview in March 2018.

Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: Misleading verdict.
Screenshot of the claim retrieved from X. INSERT: Misleading verdict.

In the interview, he only advocated that women should wear “decent, respectful clothing, like men,” in accordance with the Sharia laws, and not anyhow they wish.

Multiple credible media reports, including Reuters and DW, reported the interview, saying the Saudi PM shed more light on Saudi cultural system and practices during the interview.

His response was to a question posed to him by the host, who asked if women are equal to men in the Saudi Kingdom. He stated that there is no difference between both genders as “we are all human beings.”

Salman further stated that some individuals hold extreme views that prohibit the mixing of men and women in public and failed to distinguish between a man and woman being together in a professional setting and when they are alone.

He emphasized that the Sharia laws, practiced in the Saudi Kingdom, make it very clear that women must dress respectfully and decently, just as males.

“We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a workplace. Many of those ideas contradict the way of life during the time of the Prophet and the Caliphs. This is the real example and the true model.

“The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover. The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear,” the Saudi prince said in the interview held in 2018.

Sharia law decrees that men and women should dress modestly, although countries vary in how they interpret this.

ALSO READ: Did UK officially recognize Nigeria as an Islamic state?

Further checks show that the claim have been fact-checked previously as seen here, here, here and here.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that Mohammed bin Salman said that women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they wish without male permission is MISLEADING; the Prince was quoted out-of-context.

Video does not show youth’s clash with traditionalists over August protest

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Video does not show youth’s clash with traditionalists over August protest

A video showing burning tyres on a street has surfaced online alongside a claim that it was from a clash between traditional worshippers and youths in Ogun State over the protest in Nigeria starting August 1.

The narrator in the video claimed that the traditional Oro worshippers wanted to celebrate the festival in order to stop the protest in Ikenne, Ogun State leading to resistance from the youths who insist that the protest must hold.

READ: Video of February demonstration in Ibadan used to depict planned August protest

An X user,  @dannyi05900085 posted the video with a caption that read:

“Oro festival stopped by the hungry and angry youths in Ogun state.”

The video has garnered about 400,000 views, with over 2,700 reposts, more than 5,000 likes and 300 comments as of July 31, 2024.

Another X user, @nwaadaz posted the same video with another caption thus:

“Happening now as Angry youths in Ogun state allegedly stop traditionalists performing of the oro festival ahead of the upcoming protest.”

The video has been widely circulated across multiple social media platforms.

 

THE ‘END BAD GOVERNANCE’ PROTEST

Earlier, Nigerians planned to stage a nationwide protest starting today, August 1 till August 10, tagged “10 days of rage,” or “End Bad Governance in Nigeria” to express their displeasure over the country’s soaring cost of living.

The Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had scrapped a popular fuel subsidy and devalued the local currency, the naira, thus causing a spiral hike in food and commodity prices.

Nigeria’s overall inflation was in June 2024 at its highest level in 28 years – more than 34 per cent with food inflation much higher, according to the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). This is in addition to widespread insecurity and climate change affecting farmers’ ability to grow crops.

This is why the hashtags: #EndBadGovernance,#EndBGIN, #EndBadGovernance2024 and#EndBadGovernanceinNigeria have been trending on multiple social media platforms and Google Trends for days.

 

CLAIM

Video shows clash between traditional worshippers and youths in Ogun State over the protest.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the video showed a youth clash in Ikenne community following local government’s ban on celebration of the annual Oro festival in the community earlier.

Screenshot of the post with the viral video purportedly showing youths protesting in Ogun state against traditional worshippers.

Contrary to the X claims, the video showed violence in Ikenne, Ogun State, due to the insistence of youths to celebrate the annual Oro festival despite the ban by the state government.

An earlier version of the viral video with the accurate narrative can be seen here in this Daily Trust report.

The local government council, which is the consenting authority, had banned the festival following the building tension in the community over the royal battle to forestall a breach of peace during the festival, Daily Trust reported.

Despite this, some youths stormed the streets on Saturday, July 27, 2024 to protest against the ban. The youths reportedly burned tyres on the major road and eventually clashed with police operatives in the community leading to the arrest of about 20 of them.

Also, there are beliefs that some Nigerian states are planning to use traditional worshippers to prevent people from protesting on street today, especially in Southwestern part of the country. However, this has been denied by the Lagos State Government.

Even though the planned protest over economic hardship commences nationwide today, The FactCheckHub has identified various instances where unrelated videos were falsely used to depict the ongoing August protest. The ICIR is providing LIVE UPDATES from the scene of the protests across the country here.

READ ALSO: Old video of youths protesting at Emir of Ilorin’s palace circulates online

Recall that The FactCheckHub had earlier debunked a similar video showing some youths holding placards and burning tyres which was shared with a claim that the protest had commenced in Kano. We established that the video is unrelated to the protest.

We also established that another video which was used to depict the protest shows a demonstration that had earlier occurred over two months ago in Ibadan, Oyo State.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the video shows a clash between traditional worshippers and youths in Ogun State over the August protest is MISLEADING; the video shows protest by some Ikenne youths over the banned Oro festival and unrelated to today’s protest.

Old video of Kano incident used to depict ‘hunger’ protest in Abuja

Nurudeen Akewushola
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Old video of Kano incident used to depict ‘hunger’ protest in Abuja

AN X user, @teejayy__x has posted a video of some youths protesting on a street, claiming that it shows an ongoing protest in Abuja on July 29.

Most of the protesters who were dressed in native attires and caps can be seen in the video wielding cardboard and burning tyres.

READ: Video of February demonstration in Ibadan used to depict planned August protest

The X user posted the video with a caption thus:

“HANGRY, a volatile mix of hunger and anger! As Nigerians mobilize for the #EndBadGovernanceProtest, authorities, particularly law enforcement, must exercise high emotional intelligence to avoid inflaming the situation. With citizens already frustrated. Vid: Live in Abuja today.” 

The video has generated over 13,000 views on X as of July 31, 2024.

 

CLAIM

Video shows #EndBadGovernance protest in Abuja.

 

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the video is few months old. The video shows scene of a protest held in Kano State over the Kano emirate tussle in May 2024.

The hike in cost of living amid current economic hardship in the country have pushed many Nigerians to plan a nationwide protest scheduled from August 1 to 10.

Screenshot of the video post on X used to depict the purported protest in Abuja on July 29.

The Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had scrapped a popular fuel subsidy and devalued the local currency, the naira, thus causing a spiral hike in food and commodity prices.

Tagged “10 days of rage,” or “End Bad Governance in Nigeria”, the protest has led to the trending of hashtags like #EndBadGovernance, #EndBGIN, #EndBadGovernance2024 and #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria on multiple social media platforms, especially on X for days.

There were reports that the protest had allegedly commenced in some states.

Despite pleadings by some religious and political leaders in the country, many Nigerians still insist on embarking on the protest.

The FactCheckHub subjected keyframes in the video to a Google reverse image search and the result shows that the video had been online since May 2024.

An earlier version of the video was posted here by Leadership newspaper on May 26, 2024. It can also be seen here.

The video shows some youths protesting over the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II and the removal of Aminu Ado Bayero as the Emir of Kano.

They protested on the state road close to the Nasarawa residence of the Emir where Aminu Ado Bayero resides, Channels TV reported.

Recall that earlier this year, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero, dethroned Emir of Kano, were locked in a battle for the royal stool of the Kano emirate.

Sanusi was the Emir before he was dethroned in 2020 by the then-governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, over allegations of insubordination. He later appointed Ado Bayero as emir.

Following the emergence of a new Kano governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, after Nigeria’s 2023 general election, the Kano State House of Assembly repealed the law which was used to unseat Sanusi.

Consequently, the Kano governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, announced Sanusi’s reinstatement as Emir after signing the new Kano Emirate Council Law. The development led to a long tussle for months in the state.

Even though the planned protest over economic hardship is yet to commence nationwide, The FactCheckHub has identified various instances where unrelated videos were falsely used to depict the protest.

READ ALSO: Old video of youths protesting at Emir of Ilorin’s palace circulates online

Recall that The FactCheckHub had earlier debunked a similar video showing some youths holding placards and burning tyres which was shared with a claim that the protest had commenced in Kano. We established that the video is unrelated to the planned August protest.

We also established that another video which was used to depict the planned protest shows a demonstration that had earlier occurred in May 2024 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the video shows #EndBadGovernance protest in Abuja is MISLEADING; the video showed a protest over the removal of Ado Bayero as Emir of Kano in May 2024.

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