|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As expected, the third week of February 2025 brought its share of misinformation and disinformation. Below is a list of the top five claims we verified this week.
- Not brushing at night increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), a leading cause of death globally, are a group of diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels.
In light of the foregoing, a social media user linked the habit of not brushing at night to this serious disease, saying that studies have confirmed that not brushing at night increases a person’s risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Considering that it is an issue of public health, DUBAWA investigated the claim and found that it is true. Read the full article here.
- Africa’s richest man Dangote drums support for Peter Obi
As discussions on the 2027 general elections spring up again, a Facebook user claimed that Aliko Dangote, a popular business tycoon in Africa, has expressed his support for Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 polls.
However, we scrutinised credible media outlets in the country that might have reported the declaration but found no supporting information. We also looked at the social media handles of both personalities but found no proof of the assertion. Read the full report here.
- The New Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly resigned
On Jan. 13, 2025, the internal crisis at the Lagos state legislative chamber peaked when its members impeached the long-serving speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office. The assembly’s majority thereafter selected his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, to fill his seat.
Against this backdrop, a Facebook page called Nigeria News Now shared a letter online saying that Ms Meranda has decided to step down.
We compared the viral letter with logos associated with Lagos state government officials and found that the false document’s insignia was a manipulated form of the governor’s version. We also spoke with the assembly’s public affairs officer, who described the letter as untrue.
Click here for the full details.
- Nigeria has the fastest trains in Africa
In Africa, the infrastructure gap across countries remains a major topic of discussion in nation-building, particularly among citizens and stakeholders.
Contributing to this discourse, a Facebook blog, Africa View Facts, recently claimed that Nigeria has the fastest trains on the continent.
After a careful review of media reports and a memorandum of understanding between the Lagos and the federal governments, which included features of a plethora of trains, DUBAWA confirmed that the trains on the Lagos Red Line Mass Transit rail system have a speed capacity of 330km/h, the highest limit in Africa.
Read more on this here.
- US president Trump deports Nigerians living abroad
With the return of Donald Trump as America’s president, he signed an executive order recently requiring the deportation of immigrants.
This decision has raised a flurry of concerns among concerned individuals. With this backstory, a video allegedly showing Nigerians who were caught and deported back to Nigeria went viral.
Employing Google Lens to conduct reverse image searches on key frames from video, DUBAWA traced the four clips to their sources. We discovered the video is a deceptive combination of unrelated clips to push a false narrative. Investigation reveals no evidence of Nigerians being deported, as the footage claims.
Read more here.
