|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Claim: Two viral images show a “Yoruba cleric” allegedly arrested for possessing human body parts.
Verdict: Misleading. While the first image used is outdated and unrelated to the current claim, the second image is relevant but refers to an incident that occurred six months ago.
Full Text
Ethnic divisions are a global issue that can quickly deteriorate if not addressed promptly. In recent weeks, DUBAWA has observed a trend of exchanges between Igbo and Yoruba social media users. Both groups have been involved in sharing images and videos with either false or misleading narratives. A prominent theme in these exchanges is the use of derogatory terms such as “Igbo-human-eaters,” “Yorubanivorous,” and “Yoruba ritualists” to describe each other.
One example is a post by @chiditweets042, an X user who claimed that the Ondo police arrested a cleric named Oluwafemi Idris for possessing human body parts. The post included two images: the first showing a man and woman opening a bucket with unclear contents, and the second showing two human hands and other indistinct items in three bowls.
This post has spread beyond X and has been reposted on Facebook as seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
While such claims may not be unusual, the disinformation fueled by ethnic bias and hatred is concerning, so DUBAWA conducted this fact-check to set the record straight.
Verification
A reverse image search on the first image revealed it has been online since Feb. 2022. Reports from The Nation and Ripples Nigeria confirm that the individuals in the image, Kehinde Oladimeji, 43, and Adejumoke Raji, 35, were arrested at their Abeokuta residence in Ogun State after being found in possession of human parts.
A reverse image search on the second image led to a more recent incident in Ondo State, dated March 31, 2024. The human hands seen in the bowl were recovered from an Islamic cleric, Oluwafemi Idris. Along with the hands, authorities reportedly found three hearts, three kidneys, a tongue, and a spine in his apartment. Details of this event are available in these reports here and here.
Conclusion
While the first image is outdated and unrelated to the current claim, the second image is relevant but refers to an incident that happened six months ago.
