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Claim: An X user claims Chief Ayo Adabanjo has passed away at 96.
Verdict: FALSE. Mr Ayo Adabanjo is not dead. Findings show that a former University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor, Ayo Banjo, has died.
Full Text
The co-founder of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Ayo Adebanjo, was allegedly declared dead on social media.
In a now-deleted post, an X user @RodemiF claimed that Mr Adebanjo has died at the age of 96. He wrote:
“Chief Ayo Ad(e)banjo goes home @96. May his soul rest in peace. Amen”
As of Sunday, May 26, 2024, the post has generated over 7,000 views, 1,047 likes, 221 reposts, 76 quotes, and 12 bookmarks.
In the comment section, some other users immediately began to send their condolences, while others perceived the announcement as untruthful.
“May his soul rest in peace. Amen.” @GreatCbscjim wrote:
“This post is false and misleading. The person in question is not dead,” @Weyimi said.
“Please, baba is fine. Spoke to the PA this morning. Please take this down.” @DrFolaseye criticised.
Due to the sensitive nature of the post, DUBAWA decided to verify the claim and see the record straight.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a Google search to confirm if Mr Adebanjo is dead, as claimed by the X user.
We came across a Guardian news report that debunked the claim as false, stating that Mr Adebanjo is still alive.
Vanguard news outlets have also reported the news as false, confirming that they spoke with the nonagenarian’s Personal Assistant (PA) who confirmed the news to be untrue.
Furthermore, we found a report about Professor Ayo Banjo, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan who died on Friday, May 24, 2024 (a few days before the social media claim), at the age of 90.
We noticed the similarities in their names, which must have caused the mistaken identity and misrepresentation of the personality that had died. The deceased bears “Ayo Banjo” while the pan Yoruba group leader bears “Ayo Adebanjo.”
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who was claimed to have died, is the one who is still alive.
Conclusion
Our findings showed that Mr Ayo Adebanjo, a renowned politician, is not dead, as claimed by the X user. The former University of Ibadan Chancellor, Ayo Banjo, passed away on Friday, May 24, 2024.
