A Twitter user claims shared images are those of a deteriorated road in Abia state, Nigeria.
False: the photo of a deteriorated road claimed to be in Abia State in Nigeria is false. The image is from Chanuman District in Thailand and was shared in September 2019 by a Thai based News site and Government Organization.
Full text
A twitter user, Jubril of Sudan till 2023, with the username, @Gen_Buhar claims a photo he shared with the caption: “Today in Abia state, Wind blow away Road. Wetin Uche no go see.👁” was that of a deteriorated tarred road in Abia State, Nigeria. The tweet attracted over 227 tweets, 109 comments, and 323 likes and also shared by another Another Twitter user, Clifford Odimegwu, with the username @CliffordOdimegwu retweeted the exact claim and drew 135 comments, 336 retweets, and 323 likes.
The claim launched an avalanche of discourses from multiple commentators with some expressing dismay while others think the claim is a ruse.
Omotunde Funke, with the username @Funkemyfun, comments, “Hian….what kind of administration is going on in this state, a whole “God’s own state”. It must definitely have been ruled by devil incarnate. ImpClown face This Abia matter is becoming embarrassing. Thinking face”
Another user with a different opinion, Chukwuemeka Onuorah, with the username @Chukwue33446981, opposed. “Where in aba pls. Thats no where Africa talk more of Nigeria,” Chukwuemeka wrote.
Notwithstanding, Dubawa opts to uncover the veracity of this claim, owing to the fact that it is capable of generating citizens’ mistrust and distrust towards constituted authorities.
Verification
An analysis of the photo on Invid, an online technology tool for image verification, traced the source of the image to a Thailand-based news site, GBLNEWS where it was first shared on August 31st, 2019 to report news on a village road. The story was titled, “Villagers in Chanuman District, Amnat Charoen Province wait for staff to repair the paved road that fell out as a sheet after the water”.
Even more revealing is the fact that multiple websites, including that of the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand, reported the case of the road with the same photos and same narrative. Perhaps this explains why the plate number on the bike or the people in the photo do not appear Nigerian.
Furthermore, the claimant was unresponsive to all the efforts made by Dubawa to contact him over the claim, as the story or and picture did not appear on any Nigerian website.
Conclusion
The picture of the dilapidated road presented by the twitter user as a current one of a road in Abia State is untrue. The picture is from Chanuman District in Thailand and has appeared on Thai major news websites since last year september.
