A Twitter user, Dr. Abiola Oshodi, with the username: @AbiolaOshodi, has shared four images of Rotimi Akeredolu, the Ondo state governor, on a beach with a claim that the beach is Aiyetoro beach in Ondo state, adding that it has the longest coastline in Nigeria.
The caption on the tweeted images posted on Friday, April 14, 2023, read thus:
Not Seychelles, not Mauritius, not Cape Town, not Hawaii ,not Maldives, not Tarkwa Bay, not even Oniru beach – this is Aiyetoro Beach in Ondo State, the sunshine state with the longest coastline in Nigeria.
Ondo State, so rich, so blessed.
The tweet has since garnered over 1.4 million views, nearly 5,000 likes and more than 1,300 retweets as of 10am on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
READ :Â Claim that Agboola Ajayi, ZLP candidate for Ondo governorship poll withdrew from the race is FALSE
Another Tweep with the username:@BatProjects23 also shared the images with the same caption on Friday, April 14, 2023. It has since garnered about 10,000 views.
The images are generating online conversation on social media platforms in Nigeria as the tweet misinformed Tweeps on Twitter in particular.
For instance, a popular Nigerian social media influencer, Ogbeni Dipo, with the Twitter username: @OgbeniDipo, also joined the conversation, while quoting Oshodi’s tweet thus:
“This is the first time I’ve heard about Aiyetoto Beach. This is what we pay thousands of pounds for to go on vacation with our families across Europe. Nigeria can make billions from tourism. I see so much potential and opportunities. From this to Erin Ijesha, Yaknari, Ikogunsi…”
His quoted tweet has garnered over 100,000 views, with more than 100 retweets and over 500 likes as of April 18, 2023.
CLAIM 1
Photos show Rotimi Akeredolu on Aiyetoro beach in Ondo State.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
A Google lens search shows that the photo was taken two years ago at the popular La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort located in Ikegun Village, Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State.
A news report published by the Independent newspaper in May 2021, revealed that the Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, visited the Lagos beach that year to discuss partnership and outline his projects for tourism development and promotion in Ondo state with the founder of the beach, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye.
Further checks show that there is no beach named Aiyetoro in Ondo state but rather Araromi beach in Ilaje area of the state.
CLAIM 2
Aiyetoro beach in Ondo State has the longest coastline in Nigeria.
THE FINDINGS
Checks by The FactCheckHub show that this claim is also FALSE.
A simple Google search shows that there is no beach in Ondo state mentioned among Nigerian beaches with the longest coastline.
When you input keywords such as ‘beaches with coastlines in Nigeria’, ‘longest beach in Nigeria’ etc on Google’s search, top among the results it displayed is Ibeno Beach, located in Kwa Ibo, Akwa Ibom state.
READ ALSO :Â Ondo Election: Doctored video circulates online that Akeredolu’s wife was injured at polling unit as violence erupts
The Ibeno Beach is one of the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean along the shorelines of Ibeno. It is the longest sand beach in West Africa, the Nigeria Galleria reported.
Further checks also revealed that Ibeano Beach is listed among the longest beaches in the world as seen here and here.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the photos show Rotimi Akeredolu on Aiyetoro beach in Ondo State is FALSE; findings show that Akeredolu was at La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos and not in Ondo state.
Similarly, the claim that Aiyetoro beach in Ondo State has the longest coastline in Nigeria is FALSE; findings show there’s no beach named Aiyetoro in Ondo state while Ibeano Beach has the longest coastline in Nigeria.
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].
