FORMER Nigerian lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, on Thursday, January 26, 2023 tweeted an image of Yakubu Muhammad Fannami alongside some texts in honour of the late Borno student who died while preventing a suicide bomber from detonating a bomb in a Mosque.
According to the tweet, Sani said the student lost his life in 2017 when he grabbed and intercepted a suicide bomber.
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The tweet read:
“On this day in 2017,A Borno state Secondary school Student,Yakubu Muhammed Fannami grabbed and intercepted a suicide bomber. He lost his life and saved that of hundreds of others.He deserved a street named after him or a monument erected in his honour. May his soul rest in peace.”
The tweet has since garnered over 700,000 views, more than 5,700 retweets and over 24,000 likes as of Sunday, February 5, 2023.
CLAIM
On this day (January 26) in 2017, a Borno state Secondary school Student,Yakubu Muhammed Fannami grabbed and intercepted a suicide bomber.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by the FactCheckHub revealed that the claim is MISLEADING.
The former lawmaker’s tweet in remembrance of the late Fannami was posted on the micro-blogging platform on the 26th of January, 2023.
However, a 2018 article published by Daily Trust described the late Fannami as an unsung hero who died on the 25th of January in 2017.
“I remember Yakubu Muhammad Fannami. He is one of our unsung heroes. He was a student of Darrusalam Science and Islamic Academy in Maiduguri, Borno State.
“On the 25th of January, 2017, the young boy died a hero when he prevented a suicide bomber from detonating a bomb in a Mosque. He wrestled with a messenger of the Boko Haram; he kissed death. He died in order that scores of other Nigerians could live,” Afi s A. Oladosu wrote in the article published on Friday, February 9, 2018.
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Similarly, a report published by Herald.ng confirmed that the late student fought the female suicide bomber who was trying to enter a mosque where Muslim faithfuls were worshiping at Kalari, a town in Maiduguri, Borno state capital. It stated that the incident occurred on Wednesday, 25th of January, 2017.
THE VERDICT
The claim by Senator Shehu Sani that Yakubu Muhammad Fannami died on the 26th of January, 2017 is misleading; media reports indicated that he died a day before.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.
