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Misinformation continued to dominate online conversations this week, with viral posts touching on governance, religion, insecurity, and the economy.
This week, DUBAWA examined a range of widely shared claims and separated fact from fiction using official records, credible reports, and digital verification tools.
Here’s a breakdown of the top claims debunked this week:
1. Wike claims he inherited only ₦9 billion in monthly FCT revenue
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike claimed that the Federal Capital Territory generated just ₦9 billion in monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) before he assumed office, adding that the figure has now risen to over ₦40 billion.
DUBAWA analysed official revenue data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and found that the FCT IGR was already averaging over ₦10 billion monthly before Wike’s appointment.
Read more here.
2. Video of Christians being enslaved in Northern Nigeria
A disturbing video circulating on Instagram claimed Christians in Northern Nigeria were being massacred and sold into slavery.
DUBAWA traced the footage through reverse image searches and found that it originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it was linked to arrests in Ituri Province.
Credible reports confirmed the incident had no connection to Nigeria or attacks on Christians in the country.
3. Facebook posts claim judge who declared Tinubu winner of 2023 election went blind
A Facebook post claimed that the judge who declared President Bola Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election lost his eyesight after undergoing eye surgery in London.
DUBAWA’s investigation found that the claim falsely identified the judge and used the photograph of Ghana’s former Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo. There is also no judge named “Tsamma Abubakar” among those who handled the 2023 presidential election petitions, and no credible evidence supports the blindness claim.
Here are the details.
4. Canada passed a law criminalising quoting the Bible.
A viral social media post alleged that Canada’s newly enacted ‘Combatting Hate Act’ criminalises quoting the Bible and threatens religious freedom.
DUBAWA reviewed the legislation and found that the Act does not prohibit quoting, preaching, or teaching the Bible. Rather, it amends Canada’s hate-propaganda laws by removing a legal defence previously available in some cases while maintaining a high threshold for criminal liability.
Find more details here.
5. Nigeria-UAE comparison exaggerates debt figures
An X user claimed that although Nigeria discovered oil before the United Arab Emirates, the UAE is now “worth $700 billion” while Nigeria is “$500 billion in debt.”
DUBAWA verified the historical claim that Nigeria discovered commercial oil two years before the UAE. However, official figures show Nigeria’s public debt is about $111 billion, not $500 billion. The investigation also found that the UAE’s net worth is estimated at over $3 trillion, making the comparison inaccurate on multiple fronts.
Read more here.
6. Sudan conflict footage recycled as Zamfara attack
A viral video purportedly shows Hausa residents displaced and attacked by Fulani terrorists in the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Using reverse image searches, DUBAWA traced the footage to El Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur region, where Amnesty International and other organisations documented civilians fleeing violence linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
No evidence linked the video to Zamfara State, making the claim misleading.
