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Claim: X user shared a picture of a royal family in Uba-Agwa in Oguta Local Government Area, arrested for robbery and kidnapping.
Verdict: Misleading! Multiple news platforms reported the original incident in August 2020, using the same photograph in the recent post.
Full Text
Tribalism remains a deeply rooted issue in Nigeria, influencing social interactions, political decisions, and resource access. With over 250 ethnic groups, the country’s rich diversity, which is a source of cultural pride, has also given rise to prejudices and stereotypes, which continue to stoke divisions and tension.
An X user, Pst Okezie (@Onsugbo), shared a picture of the arrest of an Igbo monarch from Uba-Agwa in Oguta LGA, along with his wife, cousin, pastor, and 30 others on charges of robbery and kidnapping.
The picture shared shows the monarch sitting on the floor alongside other people during a parade by the police.
The picture, posted on Oct. 14, 2024, has attracted significant attention, amassing 52,200 views. It has also sparked considerable engagement, with 129 comments, 207 reposts, 412 likes, and 40 bookmarks.
The post can also be found on Facebook here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Given the post’s virality, public interest, and the involvement of notable personalities, DUBAWA decided to verify.
Verification
A keyword search revealed that the news dates back to 2020. An article by PM NewsNigeria dated Aug. 3, 2020, with the same picture, had the headline “Imo chief Eze Okuegbunuwa, dad & two sons arrested for kidnapping.”
The news report noted that the monarch’s gang had kidnapped Louis Obodo at Mgbala Agwa in Oguta LGA on Jul. 19, 2020, after the police gave them a hot chase.
The 59-year-old ruler of Obor Community was paraded along with 30 other suspects who allegedly committed various crimes ranging from robbery, kidnapping and rape.
We found other reports of the same development with the same date in The Nation, The Street Journal, and The View Point.
TinEye, a widely used image verification tool known for tracking the origins and circulation of images across the Internet, indicates that the photograph in question first appeared online in 2020. This discovery establishes that the post is not new but recirculated recently to mislead the public.
Conclusion
The claim about the arrest of an Igbo monarch with his family and others for robbery and kidnapping is misleading. Our investigation confirms that the image and accompanying story are not recent but date back to 2020.
