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Claim: A viral Instagram video showing a man and a woman kissing claimed that the man is Nigerian Senator Sahabi Yau, representing Zamfara North Senatorial District in Zamfara State.
Verdict: FALSE. The video is not recent and does not feature Senator Sahabi Yau. It is a repurposed clip from 2016 involving a traditional ruler in Sokoto State. No credible media outlet confirmed the current attribution, and the senator has publicly denied involvement.
Full Text
Nigeria’s Senate has recently been under intense public scrutiny following sexual harassment allegations levelled against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. In a television interview aired on Feb 28, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only four female senators, accused Akpabio of making unwanted sexual advances toward her in 2023. Akpabio has since denied the allegation.
In the past, Senator Dino Melaye was also accused of making sexually suggestive remarks towards Senator Remi Tinubu, Nigeria’s current First Lady, although he was never charged. While allegations of sexual misconduct within Nigeria’s National Assembly are not new, the timing and sensitivity of such claims have fueled public outrage and debate around institutional integrity, gender representation, and accountability in governance.
Amid this, an Instagram account @sorosokegossip posted a short video (archived here) on May 14, 2025, originally from an X user, Dearest Jessica (@TrulyDearest_), who has now taken down their version of the post with a clarification here.
The caption with the video reads: “Distinguished Senator Sahabi Alhaji Yau, Senator representing Zamfara North Senatorial District in Zamfara State, was caught romancing a lady in his office at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja. The reason they are all in solidarity with Akpabio.”
As of May 15, 2025, the post has garnered over 4,400 likes, 950 comments, and 2,800 shares. While many users in the comment section believed the claim valid and used it to criticise the Nigerian political class, others argued that the video was old and unrelated to the senator mentioned.
Given the post’s virality, its potential to misinform the public, and the ethical concerns it raises, DUBAWA checked to verify the claim’s authenticity.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a reverse image search to verify the video’s origin by taking screenshots from the clip and running them through Google Images. Results showed that the video first surfaced in December 2016. Reports from that period indicated that the man in the footage was the district head/traditional ruler of Bodinga Local Government Area in Sokoto State, and the woman was identified as his spouse, who allegedly recorded the intimate moment herself.
The video was leaked in 2016, sparking controversy at the time. Both individuals later expressed regret and reportedly issued public apologies.
Furthermore, a visual comparison between the man in the 2016 video and Senator Sahabi Yau shows apparent physical differences, despite both men having a similar beard style.
To seek further clarification, DUBAWA visited the Senator’s official X handle (@Danmadaminkaura). On May 14, 2025, Senator Yau issued a formal disclaimer, stating:
“DISCLAIMER: My attention has been drawn to a trending video falsely claiming to feature me, Senator Sahabi Ya’u Kaura. I categorically state that I am not the person in the said video. Legal action will be taken against anyone who fails to take it down or continues to spread it.”
The video was also reposted on other platforms, including Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups, some of which have a track record of sharing sensational and misleading content, as seen here, here, here, and, here.
Conclusion
The claim that the viral video shows Nigerian Senator Sahabi Yau kissing a woman in his National Assembly office is false. The video is an old clip from 2016 involving a traditional ruler in Sokoto State and his wife. The claim is another example of misinformation weaponising outdated content for political or sensational purposes.
