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Cyberbullying: Facebook user attacks another with false ‘RIP’ claim

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Claim: A Facebook user alleged that a lady has been used for ritual killing by her “Yahoo boyfriend.”

Cyberbullying: Facebook user attacks another with false ‘RIP’ claim

Verdict: False! DUBAWA spoke to the lady in question and confirmed that she was alive. We also asked the claimant to provide evidence for his claim, but he failed.

Full Text

Over the years of fighting misinformation and disinformation, DUBAWA has come across several reports falsely announcing the deaths of people. In most cases, the targets were celebrities or famous politicians. Aside from that, the menace of couples allegedly using their partners, family members, or their relatives for money rituals is also not a strange trend to Nigerians. 

Olajide Segun recently took to a Facebook page named “Lekki Ajah Connect” to announce the death of a lady who he claimed had been used for ritual by her fraudster boyfriend (archived here). Olajide made this post on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, attaching the picture of the lady with the inscription “RIP, Gone so soon.” It was also posted here, here, here, and here.

In the caption, he also wrote, “Rest in peace. She was used for rituals by her Yahoo boyfriend. Be careful, ladies.” 

Cyberbullying: Facebook user attacks another with false ‘RIP’ claim
A screenshot of the RIP post made by Olajide on Facebook.

Nigerians’ natural response to posts like this is to comment “RIP” and to wish the family of the deceased well. As expected, this post soon gained over 36 likes, 42 comments, and five shares within an hour, with people commenting “RIP.”  

While some users mourned, others believing the claim said it was due to greed. 

For example, Valentino Jackson wrote: “They should continue with Yahoo boy dating.” 

On the flip side, however, users like Fynzy Twin disputed the claim as false. 

“Nothing happened to her na mumu post the picture,” he said.

Due to the contrasting comments, the sensitivity of the claim, and DUBAWA’s mission to combat misinformation and disinformation, we decided to verify the post.

Verification

An analysis of the picture via Forensically, a digital tool for image forensics, showed that the original version had been edited, with the text “RIP, Gone so soon” added.

Cyberbullying: Facebook user attacks another with false ‘RIP’ claim
A screenshot of forensic analysis highlighting the edited part of the post.

DUBAWA also contacted the claimant for evidence of his claim, but he provided none. With a reverse image search, we traced the person in the picture to another Facebook profile, Prissy Jummy. The original photo (now deleted) was posted on her page on Jan. 21, 2025.

Cyberbullying: Facebook user attacks another with false ‘RIP’ claim
The original photo on Prissy Jummy’s Facebook profile.

We further contacted the lady in question, whose real name was Priscilla Ayodele. Priscilla confirmed to DUBAWA that she is alive. 

She added that she had an online altercation with the claimant, which led to him alleging that she was dead.

“I’m fine and alive. I just ended a call with my mum and my sister. They were already shocked by the news as they are active on Facebook,” Priscilla told DUBAWA.

Conclusion

The claim by a Facebook user that a lady has been used by her boyfriend for ritual killing is false. DUBAWA spoke to the lady in question, who confirmed that she was alive and well.

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