Amid the security crisis in Nigeria, citizens witnessed real-life pandemonium stemming from misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms. Beyond Nigeria, in the first week of June, misinformation thrived across West African social media, spanning the economy, politics, and health.
As part of its pledge to sanitise the information ecosystem, DUBAWA’s investigations verified claims and set the record straight to ensure members of the public have factual, accurate information.
Below are some of the claims fact-checked this week.
- Suspected herdsmen arrested in Lagos with ammunition
Barely two weeks after the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo state, Sule Emmanuel Segun posted a video on his Facebook page alleging that suspected herdsmen were arrested in Lagos with a bus loaded with guns, bullets, and explosives. The user posted the video alongside a chilling caption which read, “War is coming in Nigeria, get ready.”
DUBAWA’s investigations showed that the video had been shared online since September 2022. Also, there is no evidence to support the assertion that “war is coming” to Nigeria as claimed.
- Cambodia Government order African immigrants out of its country
In the last week of May 2026, a statement purportedly issued by Cambodia’s General Department of Immigration (GDI) went viral on Facebook, Instagram and some news outlets, claiming that the Cambodian government gave Africans an ultimatum to leave the country or face a jail term or $8,000 fine.
When DUBAWA checked, we found inconsistencies in the statement, including the names and portfolios of the signatories. Further investigations revealed that while there is a structured, sub-decree-backed crackdown on undocumented foreigners since January 2026, this is not solely directed at African nationals as a group. Also, Cambodia’s General Department of Immigration debunked the claim.
Read more here.
- Electricity costs more in Northern Nigeria
A Facebook user shared a video claiming that residents of Northern Nigeria pay more for electricity than those in the South. He argued that those in the North are being subjected to unfair electricity tariffs, using screenshots showing electricity purchases allegedly made in Bauchi and Ibadan to drive home his point.
DUBAWA observed some users’ acceptance of this analogy without proper evidence, and seeing that this may cause regional tensions and misinformation about Nigeria’s electricity sector, we carried out our investigations.
Findings indicate that electricity consumers are grouped into service bands under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Service-Based Tariff (SBT) system, based on the minimum average daily hours of electricity supplied. This classification (bands) determines who pays more or less for electricity. Two customers living in the same city can pay different tariffs if they belong to different service bands.
More information can be found here.
- Nigeria withdraws MTN, DStv operating license
With the recent wave of Xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa, there have been calls for sanctions against South African-owned businesses based in other countries. In a broadcast, Ghanaian TV presenter, Captain Smart, alleged that Nigeria has withdrawn the operating licenses of MTN and DStv.
He made this comment while urging Ghanaian youth to get ready to expel South African nationals. However, when DUBAWA investigated the claim, we found it stemmed from comments by Nigerian Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who called on the National Assembly to consider retaliatory economic measures against South African companies operating in Nigeria, specifically MTN and DStv. However, this was just a proposal by the lawmaker and does not constitute official government action.
Read more here.
- Video shows condition of Oyo kidnapped children
A Facebook user, Omooba of Lagos, shared a video of children in a dehumanising condition as he called on the Oyo state Governor Seyi Makinde, to facilitate the release of the abducted children. DUBAWA’s analysis revealed that the video had appeared online before the Oyo abduction incident. Results showed that the earliest trace of the footage was posted on April 7, 2026, while the Oyo kidnapping occurred on May 15, 2026.
Further findings showed that the video was originally shared on an Instagram account identified as @williamcharityo. A review of the account revealed several other videos related to the same footage. More information here.