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Claim: A video circulating on WhatsApp has an accompanying claim a lady and some police officers have been murdered during the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria
Verdict: Misleading! The WhatsApp video is a gunmen shootout, which occurred in Irete, Owerri-West, Imo State, on Monday, Jul. 29, 2024, and claimed the lives of four police officers and a POS operator. Credible news outlets have also reported the incident.
Full Text
Amidst a recent anti-government protest– a public outcry against unfavourable government policies, including fuel subsidy removal and free naira floating– a video of a murdered woman and police officers has been circulating on Meta’s WhatsApp. It follows the claim that it is linked to the #EndBadGovernance protest.
The incident has been claimed to have occurred in one of Abuja’s suburbs, Maraba.
Verification
DUBAWA subjected the video material to Google Lens scrutiny and discovered the video file was earlier uploaded on X on Monday, Jul. 29, 2024. The X user, @NwaneriKendrick, who uploaded the video, stated that the gory incident was the outcome of a gunmen raid in Owerri West, Imo State.
DUBAWA conducted a Google search about the incident and found a news report published by The Cable. According to the report, gunmen had stormed Blossom Hotel checkpoint in Irete, Owerri-West Local Government Area (LGA) and shot sporadically at police officers who were conducting a stop-and-search operation.
Four police officers died from the encounter, as well as a Point of Sale (POS) operator.
Punch and Vanguard have also reported the incident.
Conclusion
The claim is misleading. The video is a gunmen shootout incident that took place in Imo State, which claimed the lives of four police officers and a POS operator.
