Misleading and false claims continue to spread online, touching on politics, sports, security, and AI-generated misinformation.
We have highlighted some of the viral claims we fact-checked this week.
- Claim Sam Jackson confesses to murdering his wife, misleading
A viral claim circulating online alleged that Liberia’s renowned politician Sam Jackson confessed to murdering his wife, sparking outrage and widespread reactions on Facebook.
The claim was widely shared, with many users presenting it as a confirmed incident without providing any verifiable source or official report to back it up.
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search and found that no credible news organisation reported this claim. Further checks showed no evidence of such a confession or case involving the individual.
Read more here.
- Samuel Eto’o elected as CAF president
Following ongoing discussions about leadership and governance in African football, a claim surfaced on social media that former footballer Samuel Eto’o had been elected President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
An Instagram user claimed there was an emergency meeting after the resignation of Secretary General Veron Mosengo, and, in a surprising turn of events, Eto’o was voted in as interim president of CAF.
DUBAWA’s investigation found the claim to be false. Read more here.
- Sierra Leone to host 2099 AFCON
A viral image circulating on social media claimed that Sierra Leone had been selected to host the 2099 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The image was widely shared, with users presenting it as an official announcement despite the unusually distant date and lack of confirmation from football authorities.
Findings reveal the viral image was generated using Artificial Intelligence and does not represent a real event. To read more, click here.
- US military capture 8 Nigerians sponsoring terrorism
A Facebook user claimed that the United States military captured eight Nigerians sponsoring terrorist and banditry activities.
A keyword search found no credible news organisations reporting any arrests or military operations involving the individuals.
Further checks revealed that the United States government, through its Treasury Department, sanctioned eight Nigerians over alleged links to terrorist organisations and cybercrime.
Read more here.