A VIRAL post circulating on social media features a video of individuals scavenging through waste, accompanied by text claiming that the footage shows Nigerians suffering under the government.
The claim was posted on 11 September 2026, by a verified X user @DeezyphandaSA, with the caption:
“300million people in Nigeria 🇳🇬 can’t remove one Corrupt President 😭 I know people are poor but this is too much 🥱😆💔”
As of 12 September, the post has generated over 8,000 views, 150 retweets and more than 200 likes.
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CLAIM
Video shows Nigerians scavenging for food at a dumpsite due to economic hardship under the Nigerian government.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search and digital forensic analysis done by The FactCheckHub found that the video has no connection to Nigeria, its current economic situation, or its political administration. The footage has been in circulation online since late 2025.
Images of similar scene surfaced online as early as 6 September 2025, posted by Sierra Leonean blogs documenting community issues. Corresponding video footage of the same individuals was published online by House Of Happiness Sierra Leone, a verified non-governmental page dedicated to documenting and rehabilitating drug-addicted victims and homeless youths in Sierra Leone on 1 December 2025.
Furthermore, the footage is linked to Sierra Leone’s substance abuse crisis, particularly the use of Kush, a dangerous synthetic drug that has affected young people in the country.
READ ALSO: Old video of Borno military attack falsely shared as recent killing of Christians
Similar images and posts from the same event were published on Facebook on 25 July 2026.
The original posts explicitly identify the individuals in the footage as victims of the Kush drug crisis scavenging at a local Sierra Leonean dumpsite, rather than citizens in Nigeria.
VERDICT
The claim that the video shows citizens in Nigeria suffering under the government is MISLEADING. Reverse image searches confirm the footage originated in Sierra Leone and depicts individuals affected by the local synthetic drug crisis, with records dating back to late 2025.
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
