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Claim: A Facebook user shared a video of people looting a bus filled with bags of rice and claimed the incident had recently happened in Kwara State.
Verdict: Misleading! The video dates back to 2023, and media reports reveal the incident occurred on Iwo Road, Ibadan, not Kwara State, as claimed.
Full Text
Since President Bola Tinubu’s administration began, Nigeria has faced an economic crisis, including a hike in the prices of market commodities and naira devaluation. Upon assuming office, President Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy—a policy that has significantly impacted Nigerians, resulting in the highest inflation rate in over 18 years.
Nigerians are bearing the brunt of this policy, which threatens their survival. This led to protests by labour unions and nationwide outcry.
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, a Facebook user, Mazi Ikegod, shared a video allegedly showing some residents in Kwara State looting a bus filled with bags of rice.
In the video, people scamper to grab bags of rice off a commercial bus that has just stopped at the marketplace. Amidst the snatching of a bag, some residents in the area are seen fighting over the ownership of collected bags. Meanwhile, the bus driver suddenly zooms off amidst the chaos when he notices he is being robbed of his goods.
The post is accompanied by the caption, “Hardship: If something is not done fast, Nigeria may be progressing to a state of chaos.”
“Again, a community in Kwara has looted a bus conveying bags of grains to the market, and (a) fight ensued as five people dragged a bag of grain.”
The post had gained about three comments and two reposts as of Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024.
The claim has also been shared on X (here, here, and here) and on Facebook.
To curb the spread of misinformation, DUBAWA decided to verify the claim.
Verification
We conducted keyframe analysis from the shared video using Google Reverse Image Search. The results led us to some Facebook videos (here and here) posted on Sept. 12, 2023. In the video, the incident was claimed to have taken place in Ibadan.
Probing further, DUBAWA came across a similar video posted on Instagram on the same day as the 2023 Facebook video.
A Reverse Image Search also led us to a TikTok video which, although undated, had comments posted between Sept. 14 and 16, 2023, contradicting the claim that the video is recent.
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search on the incident and found a report by The Spectacles. According to the outlet, the incident happened on Iwo Road, Ibadan, on Sept. 10, 2023, when a vehicle carrying bags of rice temporarily stopped. However, residents in the area perceived the bags of rice as part of government palliatives and consequently began looting the contents of the bus.
Moreover, Blueprint also reported a similar incident on Sept.12, 2023. DUBAWA also came across a YouTube video posted by (Gist Hub Plus) on Sept. 13, 2023.
The caption reads, “Bus loaded with rice (was) looted at Iwo road Ibadan as people mistook it for palliative for the community.”
On Sept. 12, 2023, VideoWheelsTV posted a similar video with different captions.
“A fully loaded bus with bags of rice had a stop in Ibadan, and people stormed it and looted it.”
Conclusion
Our findings show that the video is not recent; it has been online since 2023, and the footage’s actual location is Ibadan, not Kwara.
