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Is it true that Pele, the Brazilian football legend, visited Nigeria? 

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Following the death of Brazilian football legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, more often known as Pele, there have been several reports about his exploits.

One such report claims that Pele visited Nigeria. This claim comes after a football match was played in his honour in Kaduna.

Former lawmaker, Senator ShehuSani of Kaduna State, who was present for the tribute match revealed that the late Brazilian footballer, played in the same stadium in the 1970s. 

Sharing a picture from the match, Sani said, “Pele was in Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna in 1972. Two Kaduna Football Clubs played a match at the same venue today, as a tribute to the original greatest of all times”

 

The post has generated lots of discussion and some of the discussants are doubting if Pele truly came to Nigeria.

 

This claim is True and here are the reasons; 

 

Checks revealed that Pele visited Nigeria on three occasions.

 

First was in January 1969 when Santos Football Club of Brazil  arrived Nigeria in the midst of the civil war to play a friendly match. 

 

Santos first faced the Nigerian team on January 26. Pele scored twice in this confrontation (2-2). A second match took place on February 4, in Benin City and Santos won 2-1 against the local team.

 

Again in 1976, Pele was caught in the General Murtala Mohammed Coup! He traveled to Lagos on a trip sponsored by Pepsi in February 1976. He played a friendly game and took part in the inauguration of football schools.

 

But tension remained high in the city at that time and Pele, who took refuge in the Brazilian embassy, was disguised as an airline pilot to fly out of Lagos.

 

In 1978, at a time Pele had retired, he returned to Nigeria on a trip sponsored by Fluminense, a household appliance brand.

 

Pele was convinced to kick off the friendly between Fluminense who were visiting Lagos and the Nigerian team, Racca Rovers.

 

Pele’s trip to Nigeria is documented in his first autobiography in 1977 and in another work published in 2007.

 

He however discredited the claim that he contributed to the cessation of the civil war. 

Conclusion 

The claim that Pele visited Nigeria is True.

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African News

100 Editions Strong!

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Today, we proudly mark the 100th edition of the WABMA Fake News Debunker — published consistently in audio, video, and text formats.

This milestone is more than just a number. It is a testament to our resilience, commitment, and belief in the power of truth. For nearly two years, through changing tides and persistent challenges, we have worked tirelessly to expose misinformation, challenge disinformation, and protect the public discourse in West Africa.

Fake news undermines democracy, endangers lives, and erodes trust. That is why we have stayed the course — week after week — empowering citizens with facts, and strengthening media literacy across communities.

Thank you to every researcher, producer, presenter, and supporter who made this possible.
The work continues — because truth still matters.

WABMA100 #FakeNewsDebunker #StopTheSpread #MediaMatters #WestAfrica #Misinformation #FactChecking #WABMA

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African News

Did Netflix Really Hand Kamala Harris $7 Million?

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It all started with a social media post that sparked confusion and speculation. The claim was bold: Netflix had reportedly donated a whopping $7 million to Kamala Harris’ campaign.

But was it true?

The buzz grew louder as the story spread, leaving many wondering how deep Netflix’s political involvement ran. Could a company that entertains millions really throw such enormous financial support behind a candidate?

The truth, however, turned out to be much more personal—and surprising.

After diving deep into the investigation, we uncovered a twist. It wasn’t Netflix itself that made the donation. The answer came from Reed Hastings, Netflix’s co-founder and executive chairman. He confessed during an interview with The Information: after watching a particularly disheartening debate, he felt compelled to act. “After the depressing debate,” Hastings admitted, “we are in the game again.” And with that, he made his largest personal contribution ever—$7 million.

But here’s the catch: this was not Netflix’s doing! It was Hastings’ personal endorsement. Reputable media outlets quickly clarified the distinction: Netflix, the company, had no hand in the donation. It was purely Hastings’ decision.

The conclusion?
The viral claim that Netflix itself funneled $7 million into Kamala Harris’ campaign is completely false. Instead, it was Reed Hastings, acting on his own, who made the generous contribution to her 2024 run.

The lines between corporate and personal blurred for a moment, but the facts set the story straight.

….

…………….

#FakeNewsDebunker, #FactCheck, #KamalaHarris, #Netflix, #GuavaLeaves, #UlcerCure, #EFCC, #Hacked, #SocialMediaMyths, #TruthMatters, #DebunkingMisinformation, #StayInformed, #NigeriaNews, #WABMA, #ViralClaims, #ProjectFactCheck, #CombatFakeNews

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African News

Was the Nigeria’s EFCC’s X Account Really Hacked by Internet Fraudsters?

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