Mud-stained cash bundles found in Sudan, not Maiduguri 

Claim: A Facebook user shared an image of some cash bundles and claimed that it was different currencies found amidst the Maiduguri flood.

Verdict: FALSE. Forensic analyses revealed that the cash in the image was Sudanese Pounds, and a news report revealed that they had been found after the flood in Sudan.

Full Text

The recent floods in Maiduguri, Borno State, following the Alau Dam’s collapse on Sept 9, 2024, have resulted in significant humanitarian impacts. Reports indicate at least 37 deaths and over 1 million residents displaced across the region.

The aftermath has severely damaged critical infrastructure; two major bridges have partially collapsed, and access to hospitals and markets remains restricted. Many schools have been closed, with some repurposed as temporary shelters for those displaced. The economic ramifications are profound, as local businesses have suffered substantial losses—some owners reporting damages in millions due to submerged goods and disrupted operations.

Amidst all these, a Facebook user, Dashap Sandra, shared an image showing bundles of cash stained in the mud, claiming they were found in Maiduguri. 

“This, among many, was found during the Flood situation in Maiduguri: bundles of different currencies stained in the mud,” she said. 

As of Sept. 30, 2024, the post had gained 30 reactions, 81 comments, and seven reshares. 

The comment section indicated that people believed the claim. When one Fwangmun-Nicholas Dashan said the currency was not from Nigeria, Ms Dashap said foreign currencies were among other valuable items discovered in the mud. “Different currencies were found. We all know billionaires don’t save money in naira again since the cashless regime. Even bandits request foreign currencies,” she said.

An X account, Weather Monitor, also shared the claim on Sept. 24, 2024, and it generated 673 views as of Sept. 30, 2024. The claim’s implications amidst the disaster in Maiduguri prompted DUBAWA to fact-check the image.

Verification

We carried out a Reverse Image Search using Google Lens and found a report in Arabic that used the image. DUBAWA translated the website using Google Translate, and the headline reads, 

“It was hidden in a warehouse; flood waters swept away a huge financial fortune in Sudanese currencies.” The report revealed that the currency in the image was Sudanese Pounds, and it was swept away from a warehouse in River Nile State, Sudan, following a flood that wiped out over 20 villages as of August 2024. 

This information established the currency and location, which contradicted the claim. DUBAWA further compared fragments in the image that could be identified with the Sudanese Pounds and discovered that they contradicted the claims of the different currencies. 

For instance, we identified a bundle with 1,000 pounds with the blueprint. The font, colours and image on the backside of the currency revealed similarities.

The currency in the mud. Source: Facebook

We repeated the same process for the bundle with “100” written on it and compared it with the blueprint. We also found similarities. 

Conclusion

Our findings reveal the money in the picture is Sudanese Pounds discovered after the flood in Sudan, which contradicted the claim that it was found in Maiduguri. Therefore, the claim is false.