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Simbiat Bakare, DUBAWA’s Copy Editor, emerged as runner-up in the professional Fact-check category at the African Fact-Checking Award 2024.
The award is part of the Africa Facts Summit 2024, which was held in Accra from October 9 to October 10, 2024. It brought together over 50 organisations across Africa.
Ms Bakare won with her report on Odalo, Nigeria’s Twitter swindler faking “heart disease” to scam women. Iriodalo is a Nigerian love scammer defrauding women of their hard-earned money using different false health conditions.
In her comments, she said she appreciated the organisers and recognised other talented journalists in Africa.
“The most significant aspect of the recognition is the story being given cognisance. Romance fraud is prevalent in Nigeria, with the nation accounting for the country’s second-highest perpetrator. As such, recognition such as this encourages us to keep doing consequential stories that expose perpetrators to protect unsuspecting victims. It also encourages survivors to keep breaking the silence culture as their story would always be told.”
Ms Bakare emerged as runner-up for this category alongside James Okong’o from AFP Check. Anna Salif Hamindu from Faso Check won the professional fact-check category.
Other winners are Chiagozie Nwonwu, Fauziyya Tukur, and Olaronke Alo of BBC in the working journalists category and Rita Enemuru from the University of Uyo in the Student Journalist category.
Other runners-up are Ousmane Mamoudou from Studio Kalanguo for the Working Journalist category and Diksha Caulleechurn, Mansha Deenoo, Preetish Kishto, and Lloyd Lallmamode from the University of Mauritius for the Student Journalist category.
This year, the 11th programme of the African Fact-Checking Awards, Africa Check, received over 200 entries from 25 countries.