|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Many high-profile individuals in Nigeria became the subject of misinformation within the week, from Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso’s military leader, to Martin Otse (Very Dark Man). DUBAWA compiled some of the most trending issues delved into during the week.
- Nigeria launched missiles at Burkina Faso
A viral TikTok post claimed that Nigeria launched a missile strike on Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, targeting the country’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Given the recent political instability and regional tensions in West Africa, this claim quickly gained traction on social media. Burkina
Since September 2022, Faso has been under Traoré’s leadership and has experienced significant upheaval, including a withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) alongside Mali and Niger and the formation of a new bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
We found no evidence to support the missile strike claim. No reputable local or international news organisations reported such an incident, and there were no official statements from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, or ECOWAS regarding the said development. Analysis of the viral post revealed it was clickbait, with links redirecting to unrelated or malicious sites rather than legitimate news sources.
- Pope Leo XIV’s served in Nigeria
Several Facebook accounts claimed that the newly appointed Pope Leo XIV served as a priest in Nigeria for a few years. This claim circulated widely, accompanied by a photo showing Catholic priests at St John’s Catholic Church in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, suggesting the Pope had ministered there.
However, the Pope, an Augustinian friar, never served as a priest in Nigeria. Instead, his missionary and leadership work occurred mainly in Peru, the United States, and other countries.
While Pope Leo XIV visited Nigeria multiple times, these visits were related to his role as leader of the Order of St. Augustine. He attended provincial chapters and met Augustinian communities nationwide. Read more here.
- Kwankwaso defected to the APC
Amidst the recent exodus of many politicians to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a viral Facebook video claimed that Rabiu Kwankwaso joined the bandwagon from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The footage showed that he wore a cap with President Tinubu’s insignia. However, our investigations revealed that the image in the video was digitally altered. Also, Kwankwaso had publicly denied any plans to defect, describing such rumours as falsehoods and political mischief. He reaffirmed his loyalty to the NNPP and criticised defections as a profound betrayal of political principles.
Read more about the source of the original photo here.
- EFCC did not rearrest VDM
A Facebook page, Agozi Comedy, claimed that Deji Adeyanju, a lawyer and activist, announced that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) rearrested Very Dark Man (VDM) at his residence on May 10, 2025.
However, we found this claim to be misleading. The video shared to support the claim is outdated as it shows Deji Adeyanju during a protest in Abuja on June 12, 2024.
There is also no official confirmation from the EFCC or VDM’s legal team about a rearrest after his release on May 7, 2025.
Further checks revealed no credible news reports of a new EFCC arrest of VDM, who was initially detained over multiple petitions alleging financial crimes but was released after five days.
- Simon Ekpa to be extradited from Finland to Nigeria
Claims circulating on social media alleged that Simon Ekpa, the Finnish-Nigerian leader of a proscribed Biafra separatist group, will be extradited from Finland to Nigeria in July 2025 to face terrorism charges.
Although Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in November 2024 on terrorism-related charges, and a Finnish court has reportedly approved an extradition request, no credible evidence confirms that his extradition is scheduled for July 15, 2025.
Ekpa’s lawyer has clarified that he is expected to appear in a Finnish court for pre-trial hearings in June 2025, and the extradition process remains uncertain and legally complex.
The Nigerian Attorney General has also acknowledged ongoing legal hurdles delaying Ekpa’s extradition, emphasising that he cannot be extradited until Finnish legal proceedings conclude. Additionally, we discovered that the widely circulated photo used to support the claim was digitally altered, making the claim false.
- Rema releases song to praise Traore
Mr Traore was the subject of another claim during the week, this time from YouTube. The video showed Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema released a song praising Burkina Faso’s military ruler. It sparked mixed reactions, with some viewers believing it was genuine, while others pointed out the use of AI.
We discovered that the video is a manipulated mashup combining clips from Rema’s official music videos with unrelated footage of Traoré. It is paired with a misleading audio track that does not match Rema’s voice or any of his known songs.
We also observed that the channel that posted the video has a history of using such tactics to promote Traoré’s military rule, and analysis confirmed the audio was not from Rema’s official releases. Read the full details here.
