Claim: A video in circulation claims Ghanaian Superstar Sarkodie is dead following a car accident in the United States.
False. The report as contained in the youtube video claiming rapper and entrepreneur Sarkodie is dead is false.
Full Text
A video lasting a minute has been circulating on social media platforms especially WhatsApp in the early hours of January 22, 2021 reports that Ghanaian Rapper Michael Owusu Addo alias Sarkodie was involved in a fatal road accident in the US and lost his life in the process.
The report from the video read by one Mary Adu on a YouTube TV channel explained how the rapper was travelling from Louisiana to New Orleans, was involved in a road accident and gave up the ghost in the process. The image of two crashed cars was shown in the background of an accident scene as well as a patient being rushed to a hospital theatre purported to be Sarkodie.
VERIFICATION
Thorough investigation was done on the YouTube video and the alleged “AGYAADU TV” that broadcast the claim. The one-minute-long video claimed that Sarkodie was involved in the fatal accident on his way from Louisiana to New Orleans and went ahead showing footage of the crash site.However, the image from the crash site as screenshot from the video shows 69TH and Halsted Chicago on the news headline and not Louisiana or New Orleans as claimed.
The two states are geographically far apart, taking 13 hours drive and are about 1,266 kilometres from each other. This air travel distance is equal to 787 miles. It is, however, unlikely for a car crash to have happened in Chicago and authorities ignored all health facilities in Chicago or its nearest states to embark on a 787 miles’ journey to Louisiana with fatally wounded victims. This is one strong reason to question the veracity of the report.
Sarkodie’s record label named SARKCESS Media also responded to the report of the rapper’s death by releasing a press statement refuting the claim and confirming that the rapper is in good health and working on a music project. The statement urged fans to disregard such a claim as it is fake and misleading.
Dubawa further went on to monitor the social media pages of the rapper. He was spotted in a Live Instagram video on the 24th January, 2021; two days after the news of his death was circulating on social media clearly exposing the falseness of the YouTube video.
CONCLUSION
From the analysis and glaring revelations from the investigations and in-depth analysis of the video and the claim of Sakordie’s death, it is clear that the YouTube video is a hoax and highly misleading. Ghanaian Rapper Sarkodie is alive and was even spotted on the 24th at the Ghana Sport stadium addressing players of the Asante Kotoko team in their dressing room. The claim is therefore fake.
