Claim: A screenshot making rounds on social media claims that acclaimed evidential photos of items collected from Sunday Igboho’s house by DSS were from 2013.
The screenshot making rounds on social media which claims that evidential photos of items collected from Sunday Igboho’s house by DSS were from 2013 is a fake screenshot. The image was generated using an online tool. Hence, this claim is misleading.
Full Text
A viral screenshot of a Facebook post making rounds on social media claims that the alleged pictures of items recovered and presented by the Department of State Security (DSS) from Sunday Igboho’s house were pictures from 2013 and not recent.
The screenshot was said to have emerged from Rotimi Adebuji’s Facebook timeline, in a post he made back in 2013. The claim implies that the pictures presented by DSS were simply being reused to paint a false narrative against Sunday Igboho.
Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba based activist, who was declared wanted after the alleged arms were recovered from his house was planning for a mass rally in Lagos before the incident took place.
The alleged screenshot was shared multiple times across different social platforms and seemed to have attracted a massive traction. A user, who shared it on his WhatsApp status, told DUBAWA that: “you cannot trust the government, I am sure these pictures are from 2013. They can not deceive us, the truth is out.”
Such claims are potent enough to cause rancour and arouse chaos in the society. As such, DUBAWA opted to verify the authenticity of the alleged screenshot.
Verification
First, DUBAWA launched an analysis of the Facebook timeline which the screenshot was said to have emerged from. Results uncovered neither traced the acclaimed post within the alleged time frame offered (2013) nor was the post found to have been made, but then deleted within the alleged time frame.
It was however, noticed, that the alleged user, Rotimi Adebuji, whose screenshot is referenced, actually made a similar post with the same pictures, but it was recent, on July 2nd, 2021 and not back in 2013 as alleged.
The above finding further led DUBAWA to conduct an analysis of the alleged screenshot. Results show that the screenshot was fake, as it was merely created by an online tool called, “prank me not”. The tool allows users to:
“Build your own fake Facebook Status and prank your friends. You can change ANYTHING, use emoticons and even upload your own profile photos for post and comments. This generator is in no way associated with Facebook. All graphical material is protected by the copyright owner. May only be used for personal use.”
Even more, other red flags identified indicate a disparity with Facebook standard operations for uploading pictures per album. While Facebook only allows 1000 per album, the acclaimed screenshot showed a total of 5529-plus pictures uploaded on the same album. Also, one alarming fact is that the post dated back to 2013, did not attract a single reaction and had only one share, an uncommon reality when compared with other posts on the acclaimed users timeline that has not less than 100 plus reactions and shares within days.
DUBAWA has also contacted Mr. Rotimi on Facebook to verify from him the source of the screenshot but he is yet to reply.
To further prove that the picture was designed to malign the DSS another screenshot, this time just a single image of the photo showing charms and guns also had no share unlike the other version of the alleged picture which had one share. Also, the comment “I COME IN PEACE “ is not only a presumed mindset but maliciously written to misinform and sarcastically implied to mislead.
Conclusion
The alleged screenshot dating back the pictures presented by the DSS is fake. The post could not be traced within the time frame of the alleged user’s Facebook timeline. This claim is misleading, and should therefore be disregarded.
