AN X user @A_Y_Rafindadi has claimed that the Nigerian government is supporting Iran and Palestine in the ongoing Israel – Gaza war.
He made the claim via a post shared on his X account on April 13, 2024.
The post was published alongside an image of Muhammadu Buhari, the immediate-past Nigerian president, who was seen shaking hands with a former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani.
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The image was posted alongside a caption that read:
In this world war III, Nigeria Stand With Iran/Palestine.
The giant of Africa is with the oppressed.
The post has since garnered over 1.3 million views, with more than 24,000 likes and over 2,400 reposts.
The claim comes the same day Iran launched a large-scale drone and missile attacks on Israel. Media reports state that the incident was a reprisal for Israel’s attack earlier in the month that killed Iranian officials near the latter’s embassy in Damascus, the Syrian capital.
It will be recalled that The FactCheckHub had previously fact-checked a claim by this X user earlier in the year about an explosion that occurred in Maitama, Abuja’s highbrow area.
CLAIM
Nigeria has declared its support for Iran and Palestine in the ongoing Israel – Gaza war.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub revealed that the claim is MISLEADING, as the image has been online since 2015.
A Google Lens search conducted on the image shows that the image was taken at the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) summit in 2015.
Similarly, Nigeria’s ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Francisca K. Omayuli, on April 14, 2024, called for a diplomatic settlement amongst both nations.
The statement highlighted the need for both nations to contemplate the universal dedication to peacefully resolving conflicts aimed at promoting global peace and security.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja
________________________________PRESS RELEASE pic.twitter.com/CuUfoGL8w0
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria 🇳🇬 (@NigeriaMFA) April 14, 2024
ALSO READ: Image used to depict Maitama explosion on X has been online since 2014
The statement read:
NIGERIA APPEALS FOR RESTRAINT FOLLOWING THE RECENT ESCALATION BETWEEN IRAN AND ISRAEL
The Federal Government of Nigeria joins other Members of the International Community to call on Iran and Israel to exercise restraint, as diplomatic efforts are ongoing to ease tension and avoid a wider conflict in the Middle East.
In this critical period, it behooves the two countries to reflect on the universal commitment to peaceful resolution of conflicts, for the advancement of global peace and security.
THE VERDICT
The claim that Nigeria has declared its support for Iran and Palestine in the ongoing Israel – Gaza war is MISLEADING; findings show that the image was from a 2015 event and unrelated while an official statement from the Nigerian government solely called for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution of the war.
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 [email protected].
