Image of a crusade in Nigeria. Picture source: Christ for all Nations.
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Claim: Viral WhatsApp message warned Christians not to attend a crusade titled “We Are One,” alleging that Muslim leaders plan to bomb Christians across Nigeria.
Verdict: False! No credible media organisation reported this claim. We also found that the message is a recirculation of other variations from 2018 and 2021.
Full Text
Nigeria has experienced decades of violence linked to insurgencies, terrorism, and communal conflicts. Groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have previously carried out attacks targeting civilians, including religious gatherings.
Amidst this development, a viral WhatsApp message claims there is a planned attack on Christians at a forthcoming crusade titled “We Are One”. The message alleged that Muslim leaders plan to bomb Christians across Nigeria during the event.
The post also states that the crusade will be held across Nigeria and will use a popular pastor to attract attendees. The message, therefore, urged recipients to share the warning with at least 20 people.
“To all Christians, please tell all the Christians brethren around you not to attend the crusade with the title We are one. It’s said that Muslim leaders plan the crusade, and it will be held in all the states in Nigeria on the same day and time,” part of the message reads.
The post was also shared on Instagram and Facebook.
Seeing this message tends to fuel religious war and fear amid the already tense atmosphere, DUBAWA decided to fact-check it.
Verification
We conducted a keyword search to see if credible media organisations reported this development, but we did not find any relevant information.
We also checked the official websites of security agencies, such as the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Services (DSS), for statements on the planned attack, but found no information.
Our Google keyword search led us to an old Facebook post from 2018 and another from 2021, both of which used the exact wording of the current message. This suggests that the claim is not new, but rather a recycled one that capitalises on the current security issues.
Further verification showed that the claim had already been addressed in 2019. In a press statement issued on Jan 21, 2019, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) described the message as fake news.
The organisation urged Christians to disregard the message, noting that it was “designed to cause fear and deepen religious division.”
We contacted the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), a central umbrella body for Pentecostal churches in Nigeria, via calls and messages, but had not received a response as of press time.
The message also uses fear-inducing language, anonymity, and instructions to forward to multiple contacts. These are features of misinformation.
Conclusion
Findings indicate that the warning message against Christians attending a “We Are One” crusade is false. The claim has circulated online for several years, with different versions dating back to 2018 and 2021. It was also publicly debunked in 2019 by the MURIC, which described it as fake news.
