Month: May 2020

VERDICT: False CLAIM: A WhatsApp broadcast claiming to be the Federal Government’s roadmap for easing the COVID-19 restrictions has been shared extensively on the platform in Nigeria. It has also been shared on some blogs and Facebook pages. The broadcast claims that the government’s roadmap to ease COVID-19 restrictions will be set out in five …

Read more “Is Trending WhatsApp Message on FG’s Roadmap on Easing of Lockdown from Nigeria?”

VERDICT: False and Misleading headline CLAIM: On May 27, 2020, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a report on a blog claiming that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved controversial Madagascar’s COVID-19 organics The blog published the claim as breaking news with the headline: “WHO Finally Approves Madagascar’s Coronavirus ‘Cure’’’. …

Read more “Has WHO 'Finally' Approved Madagascar’s COVID-19 Organics?”

VERDICT: False CLAIM:  On Sunday, May 23, 2020, a video made by an unidentified individual circulated on WhatsApp claiming that the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano had no Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients. Following a tour of the isolation centre located inside the Stadium, the individual in the video claimed that the construction of the facility had been …

Read more “COVID-19: Is Kano's Mega Isolation Centre operational?”

Tushen Magana: A ranar Talata, 19 ga watan Mayun shekara ta 2020, dayawa daga cikin kafafen yada labaran na yanar gizo sun wallafa wani labari dake cewa, Farfesa Ibrahim Gambari, shugaban ma’aikatan fadar shugaban kasa yayi murabus daga mukamin sa. Agina jigon labarin kamar haka: “Shugaban ma’aikatan Fadar Shugaban Kasa, Farfesa Ibrahim Gambari yayi murabus” …

Read more “Farfesa Ibrahim Gambari Baiyi Murabus Daga Kujerar Sa Ta Shugaban Ma’aikatan Fadar Shugaban Kasa Ba”

VERDICT: False CLAIM: On Thursday, May 21, 2020, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a broadcast on WhatsApp claiming that the Federal Government (FG) has announced plans to take legal action against three states in the North. The claim said the FG’s decision to file a suit against Borno, Adamawa and Gombe …

Read more “COVID-19 Lockdown: Did FG Announce Plan To Take Legal Action Against 3 States?”

VERDICT: Misleading Headline CLAIM: On Tuesday, May 19, 2020, multiple online sources published a breaking news report with the headline ‘’BREAKING: Buhari’s new Chief Of Staff, Prof Gambari Resigns’’. FACT: Professor Ibrahim Gambari was appointed Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari following the demise of the former Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, who died from Coronavirus (COVID-19) complications. The …

Read more “Professor Gambari did not resign his position as President Buhari's New Chief of Staff”

Gaskiyar Magana: Karya Ne! Tushen Magana: A ranar Ladi 17 ga watan Mayun shekara ta 2020, masu tantance sahihancin labari na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya da Cigaba (CDD) sun gano wani sako da ake yadawa ta manhajar WhatsApp cewa hukumar dakile yaduwar cutuka ta kasa (NCDC) tana shirye-shiryen rabawa yan Najeriya tallafin kudi adaidai lokacin da …

Read more “Shin NCDC Tana Bada Tallafin Kudi Ga Yan Najeriya?”

VERDICT: False CLAIM: In a sensational report, various blogs have reported that the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of offering $20 million as a bribe for the poisoning of the controversial COVID-19 Organics remedy. The report shared on the internet, and various social media platforms, including WhatsApp, said the international …

Read more “Did President of Madagascar accuse WHO of offering $20 Million Bribe?”

CLAIM: There have been various claims that the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the same as malaria. VERDICT: False FACT COVID-19 and malaria are two different ailments, although they sometimes present the same symptoms on patients who have contracted the diseases. CAUSES While the novel virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS–CoV–2) causes COVID-19, malaria is …

Read more “Is COVID-19 Same with Malaria?”

VERDICT: False CLAIM: On Sunday, May 17, 2020, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a WhatsApp broadcast informing Nigerians of plans in place by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to distribute Coronavirus (COVID-19) relief funds to the public. According to the message, distribution of the relief funds follows a directive …

Read more “NCDC Is Not Distributing COVID-19 Relief Funds To Nigerians”

VERDICT: False A local Australia news blog on May 11, 2020, published a news report with the headline ‘’ FBI Arrests Bill Gates For Biological Terrorism After Tip-Off From Melbourne 5G Protestors’’. The blog claimed that over 1,000 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officers surrounded Mr Gates high-security underground Seattle Bunker. “Over 1000 FBI police officers surrounded his high-security …

Read more “Did FBI arrest Bill Gates for biological terrorism?”

VERDICT: False An image which has gone viral on WhatsApp claims that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a sign reading “Center for Global Human Population Reduction” on its building. This image has been widely shared in WhatsApp groups and broadcast on Facebook in Nigeria. FACT The image being circulated on WhatsApp has been photoshopped to include …

Read more “Does Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have a Center for Global Human Population Reduction?”

CLAIM At 11 pm on Monday, May 11, 2020, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a WhatsApp broadcast claiming that the Kano state government has relaxed the Coronavirus lockdown earlier imposed on the state. The message, also sent to the CDD fact-checking WhatsApp number, claimed that the relaxation of the lockdown …

Read more “Kano State Government Did Not Relax Lockdown for One Week”