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For the latest edition of DUBAWA’s weekly round-up, we covered controversial issues that went viral in Nigeria. We also went beyond Nigeria’s borders to provide context for matters of public interest.
Here are some of the claims we fact-checked:
- Mining site in viral video from Zamfara
A video went viral on social media showing a white man alongside some Africans on a mining site.
In the clip, the white man was seen seated beside a police officer in a camouflage uniform holding a gun. He then showed the man the diamond in an office, inspecting it closely. A social media user who shared the video claimed the location was a mining site in Zamfara.
Our findings revealed that the video was captured in Sierra Leone, not Zamfara, as claimed.
- President Boakai fainted during a speech at the UN?
Jeremiah J. Khalifa Giddens posted in the Costa Show (Facebook group) claiming that Liberia’s President went off while delivering a speech at the United Nations high-level meeting on the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
DUBAWA reviewed a live video from the United Nations website of the event, which shows that President Boakai didn’t faint or struggle during his speech. However, his microphone was automatically muted when he exceeded the time apportioned for each speaker.
- Olubadan endorsed Peter Obi.
On Sept. 14, 2025, media outlets in Nigeria reported that the Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, visited the Olubadan-designate, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
An X user, @iprincesaviour, who shared the video with the caption, “The historic moment! Olubadan of Ibadan, Kabiyesi Oba Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, looked at H.E. Peter Obi and declared, ‘I have seen the president.’”
While examining the clip, we observed that the individual who spoke in the video was Adeyemi Aderibigbe, not the Oba Olubadan-elect, Rashidi, as claimed. The findings revealed that the narrative that the Nigerian monarch has endorsed Peter Obi as the country’s new president is untrue.
- INTERPOL issued an arrest warrant for Burkina Faso’s Captain Traoré
A Facebook user, Grace Harriet Konyen, claimed that the International Criminal Police Organisation INTERPOL had issued an arrest warrant for Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
We dug deeper into INTERPOL’s official X account, which showed no announcement of such an arrest. DUBAWA’s findings also reveal that INTERPOL cannot issue arrest warrants; it can only issue “Red Notices.”
- Gino is sharing airtime and data to celebrate Hilda’s Guinness World Record
A viral WhatsApp broadcast claims that Gino offers Nigerians free 10GB of data and ₦5,000 airtime to celebrate Hilda Baci’s recent Guinness World Record as the world’s largest jollof rice holder.
“Gino Tomato is giving Nigerians 10GB Free Data and ₦5,000 Airtime to support HILDA BACI in all social media, as she is gearing up to make history at the Gino world Jollof festival 2025,” part of the text wrote.
Our findings revealed that neither Gino nor Hilda announced such a giveaway on their official platforms, and attempts to verify through the links provided revealed phishing tactics.
