Entertainment
Was the story of Nigerian kidnappers smuggling ransom money into Ghana true?
A TikTok video, which has been widely circulated on social media, suggests that some Ghanaian police confiscated ransom money being smuggled into the country by Nigerian kidnappers. This is FALSE!
In a close observation of the video, we discovered that there were several crates, containing what looked like bank notes, scattered on a road. A blue van and white fuel tanker were also visible in the video, as well as armed security officials.
Reading through the comments, it was discovered that there was confusion among social media users. While some believe the video has something to do with Nigeria, some queried the source of the video.
Facts are:
We conducted a frame-by-frame analysis of the video on the InVid Video verification tool. Results from the analysis show that the earliest version of the video was uploaded on a YouTube channel called Chasm TV on 5th October 2019.
The earliest version of the video was captioned: “Money scattered after Bank of Ghana bullion van collided with a tanker.”
Going through the 29-second video, the WABMA Debunker Team observed that the video was identical to the one being circulated to portray the confiscation of ransom money by Nigerian kidnappers.
Keywords like “Ghana bullion van collided with a tanker” took us to a report published by Ghanaian media on the crash. Media organizations, like Joy Online, Pulse Ghana, and Within Nigeria also published the crash.
Conclusion
The TikTok video suggesting that some Ghanaian police confiscated ransom money being smuggled into the country by Nigerian kidnappers is misleading. We discovered that the video was taken in 2019 in Ghana during a collision on Techiman-Kumasi road involving a Bank of Ghana bullion van and a fuel tanker. The video has nothing to do with Nigerian kidnappers.
A troubling image circulating online shows American YouTube star IShowSpeed wearing a Nigerian jersey. His face appears bruised. The caption is alarming. It claims he was attacked by road gang members in Nigeria while livestreaming along Ikoyi Road, Lagos.
It suggests that visiting Nigeria was unsafe. It paints a picture of chaos.
The post originates from an X account, @iamMrMarfo1. From there, it spreads.
But what really happened?
First, let’s examine the context.
IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., was recently in Lagos. He celebrated his 21st birthday. He surpassed 50 million YouTube subscribers. On December 29, 2025, he launched a 20 country African tour in 28 days. On January 21, he livestreamed from Balogun Market in Lagos Island. Crowds gathered. Security escorted him. The scene was intense but public.
Soon after, posts claimed he had been attacked.
The circulating images appeared to show facial injuries.
WHAT WE CHECKED
We examined the footage. According to reporting by Agence France Presse, the images were doctored. AFP traced the visuals back to specific timestamps in the original livestream. Moments at approximately 4:21:32 and 4:21:36 were manipulated to create the bruised effect.
AFP journalists who were physically present in Lagos during his visit reported that they did not witness any attack. They also heard nothing to suggest that an assault occurred. The altered images did not only appear in English. They spread in French, Arabic, Spanish, Hausa, and Zulu.
WHAT WE FOUND
It is important to note that IShowSpeed has faced disruptions during other international visits.
In Algeria, he was struck by thrown water bottles during a football match. In Norway in 2024, he experienced an incident outside a shop.
But those are separate events.
There is no credible evidence that he was attacked in Nigeria. No verified report. No confirmed injury. No authenticated footage. The viral image was manipulated.
Verdict: False.
When dramatic images circulate, especially those that inflame fear or damage reputations, verify before sharing.
Screenshots can be altered.
Livestreams can be edited.
Context matters.
This claim does not hold.
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