African News
Did Igbos Recently Attack the Nigerian Embassy in Senegal?
A video appeared on X, claiming to show a shocking scene—an attack on the Nigerian embassy in Dakar, Senegal, allegedly carried out by Igbos. The footage, branded with a dramatic watermark reading, “Wild crowd of Ibo Biafrans attacked Nigerian embassy in Dakar Senegal, beat officials, loot, vandalised properties, and torn the Nigerian flag,” was quickly shared far and wide. It stirred emotions, especially when Ridwan Ajetunmobi, a Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Lagos State Governor, reposted it with the caption: “It’s a regular trademark.”
The video gained momentum fast—thousands of views, hundreds of likes, and reposts all spreading the story. Another X user, @NoNonsensezone, fanned the flames with a similar caption: “Trending Video: A video circulating on social media shows men from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria attacking an Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. Looting, vandalising—this madness!”
But something about the video felt off.
Fact-checkers dug deep, running a reverse image search on the video’s keyframes. What they discovered was startling: the video didn’t show a recent event at all. It was footage from March 2013, not 2024 as many had believed. The X posts were not just wrong—they were dangerously misleading.
Adding to this, there was no solid evidence that the people in the video were from the Igbo tribe, as the narrative suggested. The story being pushed was designed to inflame ethnic tensions in Nigeria, stirring up hostility with a false narrative. Worse still, there were no reports from credible sources about any unrest or riots involving Nigerians in Dakar, Senegal.
The conclusion?
The video that allegedly shows Igbos attacking the Nigerian embassy in Dakar, Senegal, is old—dating back to 2013—and completely misrepresented. The claim is false, and the video is being weaponized to incite tension between Igbos and other ethnic groups in Nigeria. Another case of misinformation with the power to divide.
========================
A flurry of Facebook posts has recently surfaced, enticing users with promises of a “₦20,000 grant” from Peter Obi, alongside claims of a ₦15,000 giveaway to all Nigerians in celebration of his birthday. However, a closer examination reveals a very different story.
The posts, which appeared on September 14, 2024, proclaimed: “Congrats! Apply for a grant of ₦20,000 by the Peter Obi Foundation. Application Ends Soon.” While the allure of free money spread rapidly, a click on the provided links led users to an unrelated website about “US Visa Sponsorship Opportunities in 2024/2025,” raising immediate suspicions.
Despite reports of Obi donating to various causes, there is no evidence of him establishing a foundation or distributing funds through social media. A thorough search of Obi’s verified X account, where he regularly shares updates about his life and political endeavors, yielded no mention of any such giveaways.
Given his substantial following, it seems improbable that he would initiate a giveaway without broadcasting it.
In July 2024, Obi explicitly distanced himself from these schemes through a statement from his special adviser on media, Valentine Obienyem.
He firmly denied involvement in any fraudulent giveaways, stating that his focus remains on investing in critical areas such as health, education, and poverty alleviation.
In conclusion, the claim that Peter Obi is conducting a giveaway on Facebook is unequivocally false, serving as a cautionary tale against online scams.
Social media user @Osi_Suave recently sparked intense debate on X after posting alarming statistics about Nigeria’s HIV crisis. According to his post, Nigeria has the world’s second-heaviest HIV burden, with over 10,000 new pediatric cases annually one of only four countries with such a high rate.
This claim is false.
Despite significant efforts to curb its spread, HIV/AIDS remains a major global health issue, transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions. The virus has claimed over 42.3 million lives worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate share of the epidemic, accounting for over 70% of global HIV infections. Historically, Nigeria has been at the forefront of this crisis.
In 2015, UNICEF data ranked Nigeria as second in HIV/AIDS burden, and UNAIDS’ 2018 Global AIDS Monitoring report supported this, with an estimated 3.6 million people infected. However, recent data from 2021 and beyond indicates a shift, with Nigeria no longer among the African countries with the highest HIV prevalence.
Current data shows that Eswatini now holds the heaviest HIV burden globally, with nearly a quarter of its adult population affected. Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe also surpass Nigeria in HIV prevalence rates. Statista’s 2024 figures reveal that Eswatini (22.8%), Lesotho (21.9%), and South Africa (13.6%) are now the top countries affected.
In conclusion, Nigeria no longer holds the second-highest HIV burden worldwide—a critical update to consider in ongoing discussions about the epidemic’s impact across Africa.
In October 2024, a chaotic video clip began circulating on social media, igniting outrage and confusion. The footage showed a man embroiled in a heated confrontation with a woman in London, with claims swirling that he was Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Governor of Ondo State.
But could this alarming allegation hold any truth?
At first glance, the man in the video bore a striking resemblance to Governor Aiyedatiwa. However, as viewers delved deeper, the shadows of doubt crept in. While the clip depicted a physical altercation, the true identity of the man was called into question.
In the five-minute, 17-second video, a figure in a black cap, glasses, and a hoodie could be seen in a heated exchange, with the woman accusing him of slapping her. The post accompanying the video derided the supposed governor for his behavior, declaring, “How can a sitting Governor degenerate to this gutter level? Tufiakwa!”
Swiftly, the governor’s special assistants quickly stepped in to clarify the situation. Allen Sowore, the Special Adviser on Strategic Communication, emphatically stated that the man was not Aiyedatiwa. Additionally, Sunday Abire, the governor’s Special Assistant on New Media, asserted that Aiyedatiwa had not left Nigeria since taking office in December 2023.
So, what’s the fact?On closer inspection, the man in the video lacked key physical traits of the governor, including a distinctive gap between his teeth and a different nose shape.
The conclusion? The claim that Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa assaulted a woman in London is unequivocally false, leaving only a cautionary tale of misinformation in its wake.
Is Peter Obi doing giveaway on facebook?
Does Nigeria Have the Second-Highest HIV Burden Worldwide?
