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As people continue to share misinformation and disinformation across all social media platforms, DUBAWA verified several public assertions shared during the last week.
Below are some of the major ones:
- Australia gave $50 million to Iran in aid
Amidst the ongoing international war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, a Facebook user claimed that the Australian government gave $50 million in aid to Iran.
The claim was shared despite the firm stance of the Australian government against Iran, and its allegiance with the United States and Israel, as it further condemned Tehran’s hostile actions across the Middle East.
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search and found that no credible news agency reported this. Further inquiries showed that the report was taken out of context. Penny Wong, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that $50 million in humanitarian aid was given to Afghanistan, and that the Australian government will not be involved in the war with Iran.
Read more here.
- Davido parades flag during tour, condemning killings in Nigeria
Insecurity and violence have recently erupted in some parts of Jos, which have attracted widespread condemnation from various political, civic, and social groups across the country.
Against this backdrop, a Facebook user claimed that popular afrobeat singer David Adeleke, known as Davido, took his advocacy to London and addressed Bola Tinubu, telling him to “stop the killing.”
DUBAWA’s investigation revealed the image is fake and no such event took place.
Read more here.
- Messi backs Senegal as AFCON champions by raising flag during goal celebration
A Facebook user shared an image of Lionel Messi dressed in an Inter Miami kit, holding a Senegalese flag during a goal celebration. The image is accompanied by a caption claiming that Messi publicly expressed love for Senegal and acknowledged them as African champions.
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search and found out that no reputable media outlet reported Messi holding Senegal’s flag. Neither Inter Miami nor major football governing bodies confirmed such an event.
We discovered that the image was likely generated by AI.
Read more here.
- Burna Boy meets Trump at the White House
As Nigeria continues to face various security challenges, a Facebook user shared images of Afrobeat singer Damini Ogulu, also known as Burna Boy, meeting with President Donald Trump.
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search but found no record of such a meeting between the Grammy awardee and the US president. There was no related information on the White House media page, nor Burna Boy’s media accounts.
Apart from the digital inconsistencies present in the images, AI-detecting tools indicated that the images are deepfakes.
Read more here.
