DEBUNKER New Edition: July 4

First up – Is it true, that bandits were roasted by lightning in Zamfara state?

In recent times, Nigeria has recorded killings perpetrated by terrorists. In a church at Owo, Ondo State, and the ones that left three killed in Kaduna churches. So prayers against banditry are not far-fetched from religious Nigerians. 

Posing as an answer to these prayers is a video of burning bodies that circulated on WhatsApp and Facebook. Accompanying the video is a claim that the footage is of bandits who were struck by lightning while on their way to attack some Christians in Zamfara state.

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Here is the fact:

As of the time of this report, no media platform in Nigeria has reported that bandits were struck by lightning. Usually, such an event would make headlines in newspapers. Seeing it has not been reported is the first red flag.

We further observed that the viral claim neither stated the exact location of such happening in Zamfara nor disclosed the name of the Christian gathering the supposed bandits were planning to attack.

Further checks revealed that the exact video has also been used by a blog to paint a similar narrative in 2021. However, like the recent ones, it did not say where such an event happened in Zamfara State.

Verdict:

Our findings show the video attached to the claim is from a tanker explosion that took place in Morogoro town of Tanzania, not anywhere in Nigeria. The claim is therefore misleading.

Next stop, Did Peter Obi meet with Pope Francis for blessings ahead of the 2023 presidential election?

Facebook user, Victor Ifeanyi Ugwu, shared a picture of Pope Francis and Peter Obi with a note that the presidential aspirant met with Pope Francis for the “tasks ahead.”

The claimant shared the image, with the caption “JUST IN…PETER OBI MEETS POPE FRANCIS, TO RECEIVE BLESSING FOR TASKS AHEAD..”

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Verification

According to a keyword search, The Eagle Online reported the meeting of Pope Francis and Peter Obi in 2018 when the latter was the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. However, the image attached to the story differs from the images shared by the claimant on Facebook.

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A Google reverse image search of the images attached to the post by the claimant was initiated which led to a tweet by Peter Obi in 2019.

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Therefore, We found that the images attached to the post date back to 2019 when Peter Obi met with Pope Francis. The images have nothing to do with the supposed “tasks ahead” which many took to be the presidential election of 2023. 

Hence, the claim is false.

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Is the claim attributed to Charles Soludo on Peter Obi’s investment in Anambra true?

A claim circulating on social media attributed to the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, says the investment made by Peter Obi, ex-governor of the state, at $20 million is now worth $100 million

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Verification 

Through his verified Facebook page, the Governor of Anambra state, Charles Soludo, took to the Facebook post’s comment section to debunk the claim. The disclaimer says that the claim shouldn’t be accredited to the governor, as it did not originate from him.

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Conclusion

Claim attributed to Charles Soludo that ex-governor peter Obi’s investment of $20 million is now worth $100 million is FALSE.

Conclusion:

[Remember to fact-check anything before you share it. Don’t engage, Don’t amplify]

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