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Claim: Social media users recently shared a video claiming it was from the scene of the fire incident in Niger state.
Verdict: False! The video is not related to the Niger fire incident. It has been circulating online since Dec. 25, 2024. A male voice in the video confirmed that the tanker was carrying groundnut oil, not petrol.
Full Text
Misinformation is likely to thrive during a natural or human-made disaster. In the past week, DUBAWA fact-checked some videos that flooded social media amid the California wildfires.
The dust around the California wildfires had barely settled when a tragic incident at Dikko Junction in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger state shook Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation.
On Jan. 18, 2025, a petrol tanker reportedly crashed, spilling its contents onto the road. A fire was ignited as some residents and passers-by attempted to retrieve the spilt fuel. The incident has tragically resulted in multiple fatalities, with several others injured.
As of the time of this report, over 90 people have been confirmed dead, while the state government and relevant stakeholders are intensifying efforts to ensure the survivors get adequate treatment at hospitals.
Discussions about the tanker explosion have taken centre stage on social media recently, with many Nigerians lamenting similar incidents in other parts of the country last year. Citizens are stressing the urgent need for government action to prevent a recurrence.
Amid the ongoing buzz around the incident, social media users have circulated visuals supposedly from the tanker explosion scene with various narratives.
Among the viral videos, one claimed to have been captured at the Dikko junction a few minutes before the fire broke out.
Considering the interest in the topic, DUBAWA decided to subject the viral clip to scrutiny.
Verification
We traced the circulating video to a TikTok account with the name Abdul Chiroma, who posted it a few weeks earlier, on Dec. 25, 2024.
The video showed some people scampering about to scoop the liquid contents of a truck. However, a male voice could be heard in the video speaking in Hausa.
DUBAWA engaged Hausa translators who provided context into what transpired in the video. In the video, the male voice also spoke about a collapsed truck loaded with red oil.
The voice started with Assalamu alaikum – an Islamic greeting.
“See, a truckload of oil has poured on the road, and people are busy scooping groundnut oil. May Allah bless the owner. People are busy stealing vegetable oil from the truck.”
Conclusion
The video is not connected to the Niger State incident. It was first uploaded online on Dec 25, 2024, while the Niger tanker explosion happened on Jan 18, 2025. Therefore, the claim is false!
