CDD Fact Checkers Spot Misleading Video of Students Stripped Naked
On March 24, 2024, a video surfaced on social media platform X, depicting a distressing scene where school children were coerced by armed individuals into disrobing completely. The caption accompanying the video cast doubt on the state of governance in Nigeria, leading to widespread consternation among viewers.
The footage, lasting one minute and thirty seconds, captured a chilling command as the armed figures demanded, “Remove your clothes totally, raise your hands, or be shot,” while the children’s desperate pleas resonated in the background.
Prompted by the video’s unsettling nature, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) War Room embarked on a fact-finding mission. Their diligent investigation uncovered a tweet linking the event to the Republic of Cameroon, Central Africa, dated January 12, 2022.
Subsequent media coverage from January 13, 2022, corroborated the occurrence of a heinous act by armed separatists in Bwitingi-Buea, within Cameroon’s South West Region. The video in question showed the students pleading beside Bwitingi Baptist Church in Buea, as the separatists sought to disrupt the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) matches scheduled for 2022.
The CDD War Room noted that Cameroon was the host nation for the 2022 AFCON. The Anglophone separatists, engaged in a struggle for secession from the predominantly French-speaking country, had pledged to impede the prestigious football event, particularly in the cities of Buea and Limbe, which were set to host group stage games featuring teams from Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, and Tunisia.
Further verification by the CDD War Room, employing Google reverse image search, revealed that an initial version of the video had been shared on the ₦airaland Forum and a Facebook page as early as January 2022. These posts suggested that the Ambazonia terrorists had targeted a school in Cameroon. The incident was also reported by Voice of America (VOA) on January 14, 2022.
The conclusion drawn by the CDD War Room is unequivocal: the video is deceptive. The viral footage showing students being abducted and disrobed by armed individuals does not portray an event in Nigeria. Rather, it traces back to an episode involving armed separatists and students during the AFCON hosted by Cameroon in 2022.
CDD Fact Check Confirms Nigeria’s Support for Gaza Ceasefire Amid Misinformation
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has clarified the confusion surrounding Nigeria’s vote on the Gaza ceasefire, following a misleading tweet that included an image suggesting Nigeria opposed the truce. The tweet, which surfaced on March 28, 2024, prompted public demand for an explanation from Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.
The contentious image was extracted from a document titled “148TH ASSEMBLY; RESULTS OF THE VOTE,” leading to widespread misinterpretation. However, after a meticulous investigation, the CDD War Room has debunked the claim as false.
In reality, Nigeria demonstrated its commitment to peace in October 2023 by aligning with 119 other United Nations General Assembly members in New York, advocating for an immediate humanitarian pause and cessation of hostilities in the wake of a Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israeli soil.
Moreover, Nigeria’s dedication was further evident in March 2024 at the 148th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, leading the Nigerian delegation, called for united efforts to conclude the conflict, highlighting the urgency to “prevent further deaths of children.”
The CDD War Room’s findings clarified that the Twitter user’s screenshot pertained to “Proposal 1,” which dealt with raising awareness of the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures, a proposal Nigeria voted against. However, it was “Proposal 2,” related to the Middle East conflict, that Nigeria supported. The CDD War Room confirms Nigeria’s affirmative vote for “Proposal 2,” endorsing an immediate ceasefire, thus dispelling the circulated misinformation.
Verdict: FALSE
To sum up, the CDD War Room verifies that Nigeria did not oppose the immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Nigeria has consistently voted in favor of an immediate humanitarian truce and ceasefire in the region across two international forums. The misleading tweet’s image showed “Proposal 1,” not “Proposal 2.” Nigeria’s supportive stance for “Proposal 2” reflects its call for prompt action to restore peace in Gaza.
CDD Fact Check Clarifies: No Agreement on N155,000 New Minimum Wage Between Nigerian Government and Labor Unions
A recent social media post by an X user alleging that the Nigerian government, alongside the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), had consented to a new minimum wage of 155,000 Naira has sparked widespread attention, amassing over 49,000 interactions. The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) scrutinized this claim to ascertain its validity.
The backdrop of this claim is set against the economic changes following the removal of petrol subsidies by the Bola Tinubu-led administration. This policy shift resulted in a surge in fuel prices, which rippled through the market, escalating the cost of living in Nigeria. Consequently, the labour unions advocated for an increase in the minimum wage, which currently stands at 30,000 Naira. In response, the government agreed to a temporary wage adjustment to 35,000 Naira for a six-month period, with a commitment to re-evaluate the minimum wage in 2024.
In pursuit of the truth, the CDD War Room diligently searched for corroborating news reports concerning the alleged new wage agreement but came up empty-handed. The most recent discussions from the Wage Committee indicated a proposed average wage of 622,650 Naira across various zones, yet this figure has not been ratified as a collective agreement.
Public hearings conducted in key regions such as Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, and Abuja unveiled a spectrum of wage demands. The North-West proposed 485,000 Naira, the North-East 560,000 Naira, and the North-Central 709,000 Naira (NLC) and 447,000 Naira (TUC). The South-West, South-South, and South-East zones presented figures ranging from 447,000 to 850,000 Naira.
The National Wage Committee, which encompasses representatives from the federal and state governments, the private sector, and organized labour, bears the responsibility of suggesting a revised national minimum wage. This committee was scheduled for a session on March 27 and 28, 2024, to deliberate on these figures.
Conclusion
After thorough investigation, the CDD has determined that the widespread narrative of an agreed-upon new minimum wage between the Nigerian government and labour unions is unsubstantiated, rendering the claim false.
CDD Debunks Claims of Recent IPOB Challenge Video
The Nation Newspaper’s recent Instagram post featuring a video of a Nigerian soldier taunting the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been scrutinized for accuracy. The caption accompanying the video stated, “In a video which surfaced online on Friday, March 22, a Nigerian soldier was captured challenging the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to a fight. The soldier claimed that all members of IPOB had fled due to their presence in the area.”
The soldier’s provocation was clear as he was heard saying, “IPOB, make una come make we fight; una no gree, you think say na play we come to play ba, come out if you fit, thunder fire una father.” This video was also associated with the tragic loss of over a dozen Nigerian Army officers in Delta State, as reported by Sahara Reporters.
To verify this claim, the CDD War Room employed reverse image search techniques on the video. The investigation revealed that the video had been accessible online since January of the same year.
Notably, PressExpress Nigeria had shared the identical footage on Facebook on January 28, 2024, with the description, “Viral video of soldier challenging IPOB soldiers to come out and fight.” At the time of retrieval, the Facebook post had attracted 1,200 views.
The CDD War Room has determined the claim that the video only recently appeared online to be false. Evidence confirms that the video in question had been circulating well before March 2024, debunking the assertion of its recent emergence.
CDD Clarifies Simon Ekpa’s Feature on Finnish Magazine Cover
An assertion made by a user on X (formerly Twitter) has sparked a debate regarding the portrayal of Simon Ekpa, a known Biafran separatist agitator and former spokesperson for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on the cover of a Finnish magazine. The user’s claim suggested that Finland’s history of fighting for independence was symbolically aligned with Ekpa’s feature on the magazine cover, challenging the narrative that labels him a criminal.
The user emphatically stated, “For those of you calling Simon Ekpa a criminal. Can a nation like Finland that fought hard for their independence put a criminal on their front cover? Igbo saboteurs shame on you.”
In response to these claims, the CDD War Room conducted a meticulous reverse image search to ascertain the photo’s authenticity and discovered that it was indeed genuine. Further investigation led to the magazine’s social media presence, revealing its name as Suomen Kuvalehti, commonly abbreviated as SK.
Upon review, it was found that while SK magazine did feature Ekpa’s image on its cover, the context was not one of commendation. The cover story provided a comprehensive interview that delved into Ekpa’s background, his motivations, and the nuances of his involvement in the Biafran independence movement.
The magazine quoted, “Simon Ekpa from Lahti has already caused a diplomatic explanation and a police investigation. Next, he’s going to give the Declaration of Independence. Ekpa grew up in Ebonyi state in southeast Nigeria, a former Biafra region. Everyone that knew him when he was young knew the history of Biafra. How Christian Igbos declared Biafra independent from Nigeria ruled by Islamic north in 1967. In Finland, his idea is to learn how to make politics so that he could sometimes export the same models to his homeland.”
Authored by journalist Aurora Rämö, the article sheds light on Ekpa’s identity and his significant role in the quest for Biafran independence. The magazine, available for purchase on their website, is a publication of Otava, a company established by Hannes Gebhard in 1890.
Verdict: Misleading
The CDD War Room concludes that while Simon Ekpa’s image graced the cover of SK magazine, the portrayal was not an explicit endorsement of his stance on independence. The feature aimed to provide an informative perspective on Ekpa’s activities and influence within the movement.