{"id":7433,"date":"2021-02-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=7433"},"modified":"2021-02-01T07:27:13","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T06:27:13","slug":"six-major-misinformation-subjects-nigerian-fact-checkers-battled-in-2020-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/six-major-misinformation-subjects-nigerian-fact-checkers-battled-in-2020-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Six major misinformation subjects Nigerian fact-checkers battled in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fake news has gradually evolved to settle as a force that can\u2019t be completely ruled out so long there is a trending debate in the media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the never-ending fight against fake news continues in the new year,  Dubawa looks back and presents the major misinformation subjects in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. <\/strong>Alleged Death of a Nigerian in the Ukrainian Flight Crash <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In January, a Ukrainian flight, Boeing 737-800, crashed shortly after take-off. Subsequent reports, originating from Nigerian<\/a> news<\/a> platforms<\/a> claimed that a Nigerian, Dauda Onoruoiza was one of the 176 passengers that lost their lives in the crash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Dubawa\u2019s findings revealed some red flags<\/a> suggesting otherwise. Only Nigerian news outlets reported that Mr Dauda Onoruoiza was aboard while major international<\/a> news outlets failed to report any Nigerian present on the flight. Dubawa assumed Mr Dauda had dual citizenship and proceeded to search his name on the plane\u2019s manifest, but there was no Dauda Onoroizua on the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubawa also found out that the picture circulated with the reports belonged to one Mr Bernard Adeleye<\/a> who was forced to come after seeing his picture in circulation and being proclaimed dead. <\/em>Interestingly, Mr Dauda is now Mr Bernerd. According to Mr Bernard, \u201cI am not dead; in fact, I have never travelled to Ukraine before. I have never travelled by air before let alone travelling to Ukraine. So, why will someone use my picture and claim that I was the Nigerian that died in the Ukraine plane crash? The picture that was used in the publications was the same picture that I used on my Instagram page in 2018, and this was the exact outfit I am putting on now. This has really affected me as I now wear a face cap to cover my face because whenever I am walking on the road, people call me \u201cdead man walking.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this, it is safe to say the story was made up to justify Dubawa\u2019s rating<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. <\/strong>Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine as Covid-19 cure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not just fighting an epidemic; we\u2019re fighting an infodemic.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The above was a remark given by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) at a gathering of foreign policy and security experts in Munich, Germany, in mid-February. The remark serves as an acknowledgement of the mis\/dis-information flying about the New Coronavirus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recall the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and was declared a public health emergency of international concern on 30th of January 2020 a few weeks before the index case was identified in Nigeria. Since then, fake news peddlers kept churning out content about the virus; who has it, how it spreads and most especially the cure. Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FACT CHECKS OF THE WEEK <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n