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Claim: An X user shared a video showing flooded areas he claimed occurred in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Verdict: Misleading! DUBAWA found that the video in circulation has been online since Jul. 2024. A local journalist also confirmed that the scene does not reflect any part of Maiduguri.
Full Text
On Sept. 9, 2024, the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, Borno State, collapsed and caused severe flooding in parts of the state. The incident destroyed thousands of homes and worsened the humanitarian crisis the state has been experiencing for years.
As authorities struggle to rescue residents and place them in temporary shelters in the northeast state, a video emerged on X showing heavy downpours claimed to be the scene of the flood in Maiduguri.
The caption attached to the post reads, “Maiduguri currently, please let’s have them in our dear heart.”
DUBAWA examined the footage on Sept. 11, 2024, the post has amassed about 376 views, six likes, three reposts, and one bookmark.
The need to curb the potential tension during crises like this prompted DUBAWA to conduct this verification.
Verification
DUBAWA cut the clip into minimal keyframes to analyze Google Reverse Image Search. Results pointed out that the video has been online since July 2021.
We scoured credible media outlets and found a Jul. 3, 2021 report by The Times India showing a similar video.
The video’s background description states that it was filmed as a huge landslide swept away homes in the city of Atami, central Japan.
The incident, which led to the missing of over 20 residents and killed many, was said to have been caused by excessive rainfall in the region.
BBC and CNN reported similar developments in 2021.
Finally, we reached Imran Ridwan, a journalist living in Borno. “We do not have such structures in Maiduguri, this is false,” said the journalist in a telephone conversation with DUBAWA.
Conclusion
Findings indicate that the video used to portray a recent flood scene in Maiduguri had been online for three years and originated from Japan. The claim by an X user that the video is about the recent Maiduguri flood is false.
