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In the first week of April, we came across several claims online and questions posed to the DUBAWA chatbot.
Below is a listicle of the top and trending claims investigated by DUBAWA during the week.
- Reprisal attack on Igbo descent in the North
Earlier in the month, 16 travellers alleged to be kidnappers were lynched after they were found with local guns and machetes.
This incident generated controversy across various social media, with users expressing fear of a possible reprisal attack on the Igbo people.
In light of this, a claim started circulating across Facebook and other social media platforms that the Northerners had attacked a bus conveying Igbo travellers from Kano State.
DUBAWA investigated the claim, which was shared alongside images of a burning vehicle. Our findings revealed that the image was unrelated to the Edo lynching and was not as recent as claimed.
- Assassination attempt on President Putin
A Facebook user, Abdulrahman Shakundum, via video, claimed that there was an assassination attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin while he was in his car.
The claim started spreading a few days into the negotiation plan between the warring countries, Russia and Ukraine, initiated by the United States government.
DUBAWA’s investigation confirmed the incident, revealing this is not the first assassination attempt on Putin.
- Wike Collapsed during a meeting in Abuja
A Facebook user shared a post claiming that Wike collapsed during a meeting in Abuja due to excess alcohol intake.
The user asserted the claim with three pictures, allegedly showing scenes from the collapse of the FCT minister in Abuja. As gathered by DUBAWA, this was not the first time the former River State governor has been accused of excessive alcohol intake.
DUBAWA noticed the incredulous nature of the claim and the level of engagement it attracted, so we decided to investigate it.
Our findings revealed that the three images shared by the claimant are old and unrelated to the Minister’s alleged health.
Furthermore, the media aide to the FCT minister, Lere Olayinka, has refuted the circulating claim, describing it as false and misleading.
- Umar Damagum resigns as PDP Acting Chairperson
On Mar. 25, 2025, a Facebook user uploaded an image of PDP’s Acting National Chairperson, Umar Damagum, claiming his resignation.
Many users found the claim convincing, as it was allegedly sourced from Arise News, a broadcast station in Nigeria.
DUBAWA research led us to several reports by credible media outlets debunking the claim about the resignation of the acting PDP National Chairperson as false.
Meanwhile, the party has dismissed the claim as politically motivated, urging the public to disregard the malicious information. Therefore, the claim is false.
