February 2025 began with interesting events and a handful of misleading information to sway people’s access to accurate information.
Here are some of the top claims DUBAWA verified this week.
- Swarm birds and locusts outbreak in Lagos
A recent social media post claimed that the Federal Government of Nigeria had confirmed an outbreak of swarm birds and locusts in Lagos. However, DUBAWA’s fact-check disclosed that no credible evidence or reports from official sources supported the claim.
The Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture also denied any knowledge of such an outbreak. This misinformation has been circulating widely across platforms like Facebook and Instagram despite previous reports of similar incidents being limited to other states such as Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara in 2022.
Read the full report here.
- Tems, Grammy winner is Ghanaian
An X user claimed Nigerian singer Tems is from Ghana following her second Grammy Award. The claim, which went viral with over two million views and 29,000 likes, was disputed by many who identified the 30-year-old singer as a Nigerian.
DUBAWA’s report cleared the air, revealing that the Lagos-born Temilade Openiyi, popularly called Tems, gained international recognition for her music and recently won her second Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance with “Love Me JeJe.”
- Man driving Vehicle with no steering wheel in Lagos Nigeria
A video circulating on social media showed a man driving a vehicle with an incomplete steering wheel, claiming it was filmed in Lagos, Nigeria. The clip gained significant attention with over 1.5 million views and sparked mixed reactions among viewers.
However, DUBAWA discovered the vehicle had a right-hand drive configuration, which is not typical of Nigerian vehicles with a left-hand drive setup.
Further investigation revealed the vehicle’s registration number was linked to Gauteng Province in South Africa, confirming that the incident did not occur in Lagos as claimed.
- Davido won a Grammy
Another circulated claim from the 67th Annual Grammy Awards was that Davido won an award at the event. DUBAWA debunked this claim as Davido did not win in any category and only took to his X page to congratulate Tems and Chris Brown on their win.
Wizkid, Burna Boy, Asake and Yemi Alade were other Nigerian nominees who did not make the cut. Read the full report here.
- TikTok video shows Haaland regrets Man City’s extension deal
A TikTok video claiming Erling Haaland regrets signing a contract extension with Manchester City has been debunked. The video, which garnered significant attention, falsely depicted Haaland expressing regret over the deal and fearing the club might not win trophies.
However, our findings reveal this claim is false, and the video had been digitally altered. Also, Haaland has consistently shown confidence in Manchester City’s future.
He recently signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract extension until 2034, affirming his commitment to the club despite speculation about potential moves to other teams like Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Read the full report here.
- FBI discovered cash and gold worth millions at former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari’s New York residence
Claims circulating on social media suggest that the FBI discovered $5 billion in cash and $700 million in gold at former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s New York residence. The claim also noted that US President Donald Trump had allegedly ordered a crackdown on Nigerian politicians.
However, these claims were found to be false as there is no evidence that Buhari owns any property in New York or that such an FBI raid occurred. In addition, there is no record of Trump issuing any directives targeting Nigerian politicians.
Read the full report here.
- Tinubu withdraws Nigeria from the US Stock Market
A claim circulating on social media asserts that President Bola Tinubu has withdrawn Nigeria from the US stock market and blocked oil sales to the United States.
DUBAWA reports that this claim is false. Nigeria is not listed on any major US stock exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or NASDAQ, making it impossible for it to be formally removed. Also, no credible media outlets have reported these actions, and there are no records of Nigeria’s implementation of such economic sanctions. Nigerian companies can still list on US exchanges if they meet specific criteria.
- Trump has signed an executive order to ban visas for Nigerians
Social media claims suggest that US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning visas for Nigerians. However, we found this claim to be false. While Trump has indeed ordered enhanced vetting procedures for foreign nationals, there is no evidence of a specific visa ban targeting Nigerian citizens.
During his previous term, Nigeria was included in a travel ban affecting permanent immigration due to security and information-sharing concerns. As of now, no such ban has been announced under his current administration.
Read the full report here.