A verified X user, @RealQueenBee__, has claimed that food items distributed under Seyi Tinubu’s humanitarian outreach were originally COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief from the “Mandella Foundation,” allegedly stolen and withheld since 2019.
She made the claim on February 18, 2026, suggesting that the relief materials, which recently resurfaced as part of Seyi Tinubu’s Ramadan humanitarian efforts, were diverted while many Nigerians suffered hunger.
The post appeared to reference an earlier post by @abdullahayofel, an All Progressives Congress (APC) supporter, who had shared images of what was presented as Seyi Tinubu’s recent Ramadan food relief distribution through the Noella Foundation.
She quoted the post with the caption:
“Was this not COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief from The Mandella Foundation meant for the people?
They stole it since 2019 and many people died due to hunger. Now it has become Seyi Tinubu Humanitarian efforts. Shame on you!
These people are very wicked.”
As of February 19, the post had generated over 135,000 views, 2,650 likes, and 1,584 reposts.
READ: Old video of people jostling for food resurfaces online
CLAIM
Seyi Tinubu’s humanitarian outreach packages were originally COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief from the Mandella Foundation, allegedly stolen since 2019 and recently rebranded.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
A reverse image search traced the circulating photos to an original post made by Seyi Tinubu in 2020 on his verified Instagram page during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The food boxes in the images are clearly labelled “Emergency Food Box – Noella Foundation,” not “Mandella Foundation” as claimed in the viral post.
Further checks show that similar images first appeared on April 11, 2020, during a COVID-19 relief effort organised in partnership with the Noella Foundation and supported by public figures including Olamide Adedeji, popularly known as Olamide Badoo and Adedamola Adefolahan, also known as Fireboy DML.
The exact images currently circulating were first posted on April 25, 2020, on Seyi Tinubu’s verified Instagram page as part of COVID-19 and Ramadan relief distribution efforts aimed at easing hardship during the lockdown period.
READ ALSO: Old video falsely presented as Tinubu’s 2026 new year address
There is no evidence that the items were withheld since 2019, stolen, or recently rebranded. The claim appears to have stemmed from a misidentification of the foundation’s name.
VERDICT
The claim that Seyi Tinubu rebranded stolen COVID-19 relief food from the Mandela Foundation is FALSE. The images originated from a 2020 COVID-19 and Ramadan relief initiative by the Noella Foundation and were originally shared by Seyi Tinubu in 2020.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
