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Does Picture show a Youth Corp member beaten in Zamfara?

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A photo of a man’s back, crisscrossed with bloody wounds, is being shared widely online in Nigeria to be of a corps member beaten in Zamfara.

The claim is FALSE!

 

One of the posts seen with the picture claims that it is the back of a Nigerian National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member named Michael after he was beaten and flogged.

 

The text says: “Michael – serving in Nasara Standard Academy, perceived as the shining light in a tottering secondary education system in KauraNamoda – was today brutalised, manhandled and reduced to nothingness by a brainless team comprising of the ‘richest’ man in KauraNamoda and his equally wanton boys. What was his crime?”

 

It adds that, “Michael” punished a student who was the “ward” of the “richest man in KauraNamoda” and was then beaten up by the man and police officers supporting him.

 

The picture was traced to an article in February 2019, about the security forces of the former president of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir, under the caption: “Sudanese Protester tortured by Bashir Security forces”.

 

While the photo is not of an NYSC member and not of real torture, a corps member called Michael Uwakwe was “assaulted by police in Zamfara”, according to newspaper reports from March 2017 and statements by police. 

 

Mohammed Shehu, public relations officer for the Zamfara Police Command, confirmed that Michael Uwakwe was assaulted in 2017 but the photo used in the claim is a wrong photo.

 

“The photo used in the claim is not that of the corps member who was punished in 2017. Also, the corps member was not tortured and brutalized,” said the police PRO.

 

Shehu also released a statement “completely debunking the story and urging members of the public to discountenance it in its entirety”.

 

The NYSC has also stated that no corps member was assaulted in the area recently.

CONCLUSION

The claim that a corps member was beaten in Zamfara as shown in the picture is FALSE

 

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African News

Is Peter Obi doing giveaway on facebook?

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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.

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African News

Does Nigeria Have the Second-Highest HIV Burden Worldwide?

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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.

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African News

Did Nigeria’s Ondo State Governor Assault a Woman in London?

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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.

 

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