Fact Check

Tushen Magana:

Masu tantance sahihancin labarai na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya da Cigaba wato CDD sunci karo da wata sanarwa da aka yada ta manhajar WhatsApp dake cewa hukumar gyaran hali ta kasa reshen Jahar Kano ta shirya dan sallamar fursononi dake tsare a hannunta, sanarwar ta kara da cewahukumar zata sake fursononin da suka kwashe kimanin shekaru uku ko fiye da haka a gidan gyaran halin reshen Jahar Kanon.

Sanarwar wadda aka tsarata cikin harshen Hausa ta bukaci mutane musamman wadanda ked a yan uwa a gidan gyaran halin da gabatar da lambar kotu da lambar zargin da ake yiwa yan uwan nasu da sake su ba tare da bata lokaci ba.

Ga abinda sanarwar ta kara da fada kamar haka: “duk wanda yake da dan’uwa ko yar’uwa dake garkame a daya daga cikin gidan gyaran hali na Jahar Kano kuma wannan dan’uwa nasa ya ko ta kwashe shekaru uku ko ka sama da haka ba tare da fuskantar shari’a ba, aturo lambar shari’ar sad a lambar kotun dake sauraron karar sad a fitar dashi kamar yadda Shugaban Kasa ya bada umarni. Atura bayanai ga wannan lamba 08067139558”

Gaskiyar Magana:

Masu tantance sahihancin labarai na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya da Cigaba wato CDD sun tuntubi jami’in yada labarai da hulda da jama’a na hukumar gyaran halin ta kasa reshen jahar Kano, DSC Musbahu Lawan Kofar Nasarawa dan jin ba’asin sa game da sanarwar inda take ya bayyana sanarwar a matsayin aikin yan danfara masu aniyar zanbatar mutane yana mai bayyana cewa kwata-kwata sanarawar bata fito daga wajen suba.

Kofar Nasarawa yace: “a matsayina na jami’in hulda da jama’a na wannan huukuma a Jahar Kano, ni naked a hakkin sanar da jama’a duk wani bayani da zai fito daga gidajen gyaran hali, kuma ni ban bada wata makamanciyar wannan ba”.

DSC Musbahu yace basu san waye mai lambar da akace a tura bayanai dan sake fursononin ba dan haka suna kira ga mutane suyi watsi da sanarwa saboda rashin sahihancin ta, hasali ma bata fito daga hukumar gyaran hali reshen Jahar Kano ba.

Kammalawa:

Sanarwar da ake yadawa ta manhajar WhatsApp cewa hukumar gidan gyaran hali ta kasa reshen Jahar Kano na kira ga yan uwan fursononin da suka kwashe shekaru uku da su turo lambar kotun dake sauraron karar su da lambar karar tasu dan sake su karye ne! CDD na kira ga jama’a da suyi watsi da sanarwar da kuma daina yada ta.

CLAIM: On April 7, 2020, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted reports published by several online platforms claiming that the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced Monday, June 1, 2020, as resumption date for all Universities and Polytechnics in Nigeria.

FACT: Following the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Federal Government of Nigeria in March 2020, announced the closure of all schools in the country until further notice. The Federal Ministry of Education said the closure is part of measures needed to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

A review of the news blogs shows that the reports relied on the timeframe in the release by the government for closure of school in March 2020 as the basis for concluding that schools will be reopened on June 1, 2020.

‘’We may recall that Mr Sonny Echono on behalf of the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Adamu Adamu directed all 104 Unity Schools in the Country should close on or before 26th of March 2020 for one month as a proactive measure to contain the spread of the Coronavirus also known as COVID-19,” the reports said.

Our investigation reveals that none of the news sources quoted who made the declaration for a resumption as most of them used the picture of President Muhammadu Buhari without attributing it to him.

The Ministry[  ,on April 23, 2020,  had reacted to rumours that schools will resume in November 2020 to debunk the stories. Afterwards, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba granted a press conference in Abuja stating that there is no resumption date for schools yet.

Nwajiuba said “The Federal Government is not ready to put children at risk by opening schools. “The President addressed the issue of the opening of the economy gradually. Until that is done, we cannot foresee or immediately tell you when all the schools will be reopened.”

The minister of state for education said it will be improper for the Federal Government to give a definite date for resumption.

He said: “It has to be in tandem with these opening terms. We don’t want to put our children at risk. None of these schools can function on their own without society.’’

Furthermore, in the directive easing the total lockdown placed on Lagos, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari said schools all over the country will remain closed for further evaluation, and encouraged school authorities to continue with e-learning and virtual teaching.

A review of the official website of the Ministry and other online channels also shows the ministry did not release such directive to schools as the reports claim.

Rather, the Ministry, in response to our enquiries, posted a rebuttal on its official Facebook page. It reads ‘’ FAKE NEWS ALERT!!!! There is currently no confirmed date on the resumption of Schools Nationwide. These are purported news articles to dissuade the public. Kindly Disregard.”

In the last 24 hours, Nigeria recorded 386 new cases of the virus, its highest number of people testing positive to the novel Coronavirus since it was first detected in Nigeria in February.

CONCLUSION

The Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to set a definite date for the opening of schools across the country. CDD is urging parents, schools, and students to disregard the rumour being peddled online by bloggers and on social media.

CLAIM

On Saturday, May 2, 2020, fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted a video showing a throng at a funeral alleged to be that of the late Emir of Rano, Alhaji Tafida Abubakar II, in Kano.

In the video seen majorly on Twitter and WhatsApp showed a crowd of people chanting some slogans, disregarding the guidelines for preventive measures against the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Since the outbreak of Coronavirus purveyors of this false news exploit the ongoing news about incessant death in Kano State to disinform people.

FACT

Investigations by CDD fact-checkers revealed that the video is from the funeral of a cleric, Mallam Goni Kolo, who died on the same day as the Emir.

While Kolo’s funeral took place in Mafoni ward Maiduguri, Borno State, the Emir was buried in Kano.

Further checks by the Centre showed that the people in the video spoke Kanuri, a native language of the Maiduguri people.

It uis uncommon to hear people speak Kanuri in Rano, a Local Government Area of Hausa-Fulani community of Kano state.

CONCLUSION

The video being shared as clips from the funeral of Emir of Rano who died on Saturday, May 2, 2020, is fake. The CDD urges the public to disregard the announcement.

#StopFakeNews

#StaySafe

On April 23, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump, in a press briefing at the White House, made two alarming claims about potential cures to COVID-19. 

Fact-checks by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) reveal that this is not the first time the US president has made controversial and dangerous statements about the virus.

In the previous month, Trump praised the anti-malaria drug, chloroquine, as a treatment for Coronavirus infection. 

Unfortunately, after the President validated the drug, Nigeria recorded multiple cases of Chloroquine poisoning, as people consumed the drug believing it would protect them from COVID-19. 

Here are two new false claims the US president has made.

Claim 1

“I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs.” – Donald Trump, U.S. President, White House, 23 April 2020

With this claim it appears that the US President believes that because disinfectants could destroy the virus outside the body, they could have the same effect inside the body.

CDD fact-checks show that this line of reasoning is faulty at its best, and extremely dangerous at worst. Disinfectants are designed to be used on hard surfaces and not within the sensitive interiors of the human body. 

Also, warnings by manufacturers of these products clearly state that ingesting disinfectant puts one at risk of poisoning and even death. 

This claim by Donald Trump has drawn responses from eminent experts around the world.

For instance, in a CNN report, the US Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Dr Stephen Hahn, said he would not encourage the ingestion of disinfectant for any reason. 

Hahn who is also a member of the White House coronavirus task force said: “I certainly wouldn’t recommend the internal ingestion of a disinfectant.”

Also, Robert Reich, a professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, said that Trump’s briefings on the novel virus are becoming dangerous.

Reich in a tweet said: “Trump’s briefings are actively endangering the public’s health. Boycott the propaganda. Listen to the experts. And please don’t drink disinfectant.”

Interestingly, even manufacturers of disinfectants have stepped in with Reckitt Benckiser, the makers of Lysol and Dettol countering the US President’s claim.

RB in a statement warned that: “Under no circumstanceshould our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route). As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines. Please read the label and safety information”.

Claim 2

“I said supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you’re going to test that too… So, we’ll see, but the whole concept of the light, the way it kills it in one minute – that’s pretty powerful.” – Donald Trump, U.S. President, White House, 23 April 2020

Trump’s second striking claim is about the therapeutic effects of light and heat, specifically referencing ultraviolet (UV) light in destroying the deadly virus.

This was addressed in a statement by the WHO which counters multiple myths and warns people not to sterilise their hands with UV light, since radiation can cause skin irritation.

Furthermore, in a conversation with CDD fact-checkers, the head of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Dr Patrick Dakum, explained that the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours in aerosols and on surfaces.

Dakum said in a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. 

“There is no evidence that sunlight kills the new coronavirus,” the virologist told CDD fact-checkers.

He explained further that, UV-light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency of approximately 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light but longer than X-rays. 

Increasing UV wavelength can kill the coronavirus on the surface but the frequency is different in sunlight.

Also, UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the Sun.

NIGERIAN CONTEXT

With each passing moment, it becomes abundantly clear that health messaging from Donald Trump will need to be approached more critically, and that listeners should be aware of the guidance of experts and follow expert advice. 

In the hours following his press conference, New York City recorded a spike in calls from its poison control centre where callers relayed fears of overexposure to household cleaners. 

The danger in the Nigerian context is the propensity for dangerous and drastic behaviour such as the ingestion of disinfectants such as Dettol.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a counterpoint where safe health information is made readily available to Nigerians.

CONCLUSION

Claims by the US President, Donald Trump, that ingestion of disinfectants and exposure to UV-lights can destroy the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is false.

The CDD urges the general public never to ingest disinfectant or expose themselves to UV-light in a bid to destroy the virus.

You can also forward suspicious messages for verification at +2349062910568 or contact us on twitter: @CDDWestAfrica.

CLAIM:

Fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Saturday, May 2, 2020, spotted a WhatsApp broadcast claiming that inmates who have served for more than three years without trial would be released by the Kano State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The broadcast written in Hausa urged relatives to send details of inmates including case and court numbers to a number for further action based on “the directive issued by the President.”

The message reads: “Anybody that has a relative in any of the correctional centres in any of the prisons and the person has stayed for more than three years without trial, just send the case number and court number of the person so we can get them out as directed by the President. Send the details to this number 08067139558.”

FACT:

CDD fact-checkers contacted the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service Kano state command, DSC Musbahu Lawan Kofar, who debunked the claim.

Kofar said the message circulating on WhatsApp is the handiwork of fraudsters whose only intention is to dupe gullible Nigerians.

Kofar said: “As the public relations officer of the service in Kano I have been the one conveying information of the service and engaging with the public, and I have not given any announcement of that nature.”

He said the number on the said broadcast is not from the command neither is the entire announcement.

“In fact we have no idea who the user of that number is, we want the public to disregard the announcement as it did not originate from us,” Kofar added.

CONCLUSION

The announcement widely shared on WhatsApp urging relatives of inmates who have spent three years without trial at the Kano state Command Correctional Centre to send case number and court numbers to a certain phone number for their immediate release is fake. 

CDD, therefore, urges the general public to disregard the announcement.

#StopFakeNews

#StaySafe

Tushen Magana:

Masu tantance sahihancin labarai na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokarardiyya Da Cigaba (CDD) a ranar Alhamis, 23 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020 din da ta gabata ne suka gano wata sanarwa da ake yadawa cewa gwamnatin Jahar Legas ta wallafa sunayen wassu cibiyoyin lafiya da sukayi mu’amila da masu dauke da Cutar Corona.

Wannan sanarwa da aka yada ta sosai ta manhajar WhatsApp tana dauke sunayen asibitoci guda goma sha bakwai (17) dake Jahar Legas din.

Gaskiyar Magana:

Binciken da CDD ta aiwatar ya gano cewa gwamnatin jahar Legas bata fitar da kowace sanarwa dake dauke suneyen asibitoci ko cibiyoyin lafiya guda goma sha bakwai ba (17). Hasali ma, a lokacin da yake yiwa yan jarida jawabi a ranar Ladi 19 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020, kwamishinan lafiya na jahar Legas din, Farfesa Akin Abayomi ya bayyana cewa asibitoci goma sha bakwai (17) sun bukaci ma’aikatar lafiyar data tallafa musu sakamakon ziyartar su da masu dauke da Cutar Corona sukayi, amma kwamishinan bai bayyana sunayen asibitocin ba.

Kwanaki kadan bayan jawabin kwamishinan sai wata sanarwa mai dauke da sunayen asibitoci masu zaman kansu guda goma sha bakwai (17) ta fara yaduwa a yanar gizo.

A martanin ta game da sanarwar bogin da aka yada mai dauke sunayen asibitoci masu zaman kansu goma sha bakwai (17) din, gwamnatin Jahar Legas ta bukaci mutane da suyi watsi da sanarwar saboda rashin tushen ta.

Abiola Idowu wanda shine sakatare a ma’aikatar lafiyar ya tabbatar da cewa sanarwar bata fito daga gwamnatin Legas din.

Mr. Idowu ya tabbatar da cewa wassu asibitoci sun bada kulawa ga wassu masu dauke da Cutar Corona. Mr. Idowu yaja hankalin mutane da su guji yada kyama ga asibitoci ko mutanen da suka kamu cutar Corona.

Har wayau a wani jawabi data walafa a shfinta na Twitter, ma’aikatar lafiyar ta jahar Legas ta gargadi asibitoci dama cibiyoyin lafiya a jahar dasu guji karba ko bada kulawa ga masu dauke da cutar COVID-19 ba tare da izini ba. Kamar yadda jawabin ya bayyana, duk wani asibiti ko cibiyar lafiya da aka samu da karya wannan doka zai hadu da hukunci.

Kammalawa:

Gwamnatin jahar Legas bata wallafa sunayen asibitoci goma sha bakwai (17) da sukayi bada kulawa ga masu dauke da cutar Corona ba. CDD tana jan hankalin mutane da suyi nesa da yada labarin da ka’iya haifar fargaba ko tarnaki ga kokarin yakar cutar Corona.

#AdainaYadaLabaranKarya

Tushen Magana:

A ranar 22 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020 masu tantance sahihancin labarai na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya Da Cigaba (CDD) sukaci karo da wata sanarawa da ake rabawa yan jarida wadda tayi ikirarin cewa ma’aiakatar ilimi ta kasa tace an rufe makaratu a fadin kasa baki daya kuma baza a bude su dan cigaba da karatu ba har sai watan Nuwanban wannan shekarar ta 2020 da ashirin da muke ciki sakamakon annobar cutar Corona da ake fama da ita yanzu haka.

Sanarwar wadda dubban mutane suka ganta mai dauke da kwanan wata 21 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020 an danganta ta ministan ilimi Malam Adamu Adamu da kuma wata sa hannu mai kamar nasa.

Gaskiyar Magana:

A ranar 19 ga watan Maris din shekara ta 2020 ma’aikatar lafiya ta kasa ta bada umarnin rufe dukkan makarantu a fadin Najeriya baki daya sakamakon tabbatar bullar cutar Corona.

Binciken da CDD ta gudanar a shafin yanar gizon ma’aikatar lafiya ta tarayya ya gano cewa ma’aikatar bata fitar da kowace sanarwa dake bada umarnin cewa sai watan Nuwanba a bude makarantu ba.

Sanarwar da aka yada din ta bayyana cewa babban sakatare a ma’aikatar ilimi ta kasa Mr. Sunny Echono shine ya tabbatar wa jairdar Premium Times da ake wallafawa a yanar gizo bude makarantun da za’ayi a watan Nuwanba, amma editan jaridar Idris Akinbajo ya gayawa masu tantance sahihancin labarai na CDD cewa batun bude makarantu a watan Nuwanban magana ce maras tushe kuma aiki ne na wassu bata gari.

Mr. Akinbajo ya kara da cewa wanda suka kirkiri labari bogin sun dauki wani labari makamancin wannan da jaridar Premium Times din ta wallafa a shekarar data gabata sannan suka sauya masa fasali dan cimma bukatar su.

Wata alama ta nuna cewa sanarwar ta bogi itace yadda sanarwa da ake rabawa ga manema labaran ta jinjigina kanta da wata jarida abinda baya faruwa.

Acikin sanarwar an bayyana cewa Adamu Mallam ne ya saka hannu akanta, kuma sunan ministan ilimin Najeriya shine Malam Adamu Adamu.

Lokacin da yake yiwa manema labarai jawabi game da batun ranar 21 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020, karamin ministan ilimi Emrka Nwajiuba yace har yanzu ma’aikatar ilimin bata cimma matsaya ba game da ranar bude makarantun.

Ministan ya cigaba da cewa “daga mun cimma matsaya akan ranar da za’a bude makarantun zamu sanar, kunsan mun rufe makarantun ne a karshen watan Maris saboda barkewar cutar Corona”.

Ministan ya kara da cewa bude makarantun al’amari ne na hadaka da zai shafi dukkan jihohi saboda akwai jihohin da dokar hana fita.

Kammalawa:

Sanarwar da ake yadawa cewa ma’aikatar ilimi ta tarayya zata bude makarantu a atan Nuwanban shekara ta 2020 labari ne na bogi. Ma’aikatar ilimin bata fitar da kowace sanarwa akan bude makarantu ba kawo yanzu. CDD tana kira ga iyaye da dalibai da dukkan jama’a da suyi watsi da wannan sanarwar.

Tushen Magana:

Wani saki dake cigaba da yaduwa a manhajar WhatsApp ya kalubalanci gwamnatin tarayyar Najeriya da boye gaskiya game da cutar Corona a kasar. Wannan sako an danganta shi da injiya mace ta farko a Najeriya wato Mrs. Olu Maduka.

Wassu daga cikin zarge-zargen da aka danganta su da Mrs. Maduka sun hada da cewa da yawa daga cikin masu dauke da cutar Corona suna cikin halin rai-kwakwai mutu-kwakwai dama wani jariri dan wata daya da haihuwa dake dauke da cutar Corona din.

Acikin sakon an bayyana cewa Mrs. Maduka tayi kuka game da halin da wannan jariri yake ciki. Har wayau wannan sako ya bayyana cewa kaso goma daga cikin adadin bullar cutar Corona da gwamnati ke bayyanawa ne kawai gaskiya.

Wannan sako da aka danganta shi da Mrs Maduka ya kara da cewa taga gawawwaki guda takwas (8) acikin awa daya lokacin da takai ziyara asibitin Mainland dake garin Legas.

Gaskiyar Magana:

Acikin wani martani da ta mayar ta hanyar wani faifan bidiyo data nada ta turawa masu tantance sahihancin labari na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya Da Cigaba (CDD), Mrs. Maduka tayi watsi da sakon da aka danganta ta dashi.

Kamar yadda ta zayyana, ta dade tana zaune a gida kafin ma a aiyana dokar zama a gida saboda haka maganar takai ziyara asibitin Mainland bata ma taso ba.

Mrs. Maduka ta bayyana karara cewa: “ina jawo hankalin mutane da cewa bani da alaka da sakon da ake yadawa game dani, bani na rubuta shi ba, bankai ziyara kowane gurin killace mutane ba ko asibitin Mainland ko ko’ina ma, hasali ma na kwashe kusan kimanain sati biyar ba tare da na fita ko ina ba”.

Mrs. Maduka ta cigaba da cewa, “bisa la’akari da shekaru na, ko kafin a kafa dokar hana fita waje bana zuwa ko’ina saboda shekaru na, dan haka banje kowane asibiti ba ko wani wajen killace mutane”.

Mrs. Maduka ta shawarci jama’a das u rika anfani da kafafan sada zumunta na zamani ta hanyoyin da suka kamata su kuma guji aikata abubuwa munana.

A jahar Legas dai ansamu bullar cutar Corona har sau 931, wannan adadi kuma shine mafi yawa tun bayan gano cutar a Najeriya a watan Fabrairun shekara ta 2020.

Gwamnan jahar Legas din, Babajide Sanwo-Olu yana cigaba da bada bayanai akan cutar a kodayaushe dama yunkurin da gwamnatin sa keyi wajen dakile yaduwar cutar a jahar baki daya.

Kammalawa:

Sakon da ake yadawa ta manhajar WhatsApp cewa Mrs. Maduka tace gwamnati na boye gaskiyar lamari game da cutar Corona karye. Ba itace ta rubuta sakon ba kuma bata ziyarci kowane asibiti ko wajen killace mutane ba ballatana ma tayi wani jawabi. CDD tana kira ga jama’a da suyi watsi da sakon tare da daina yadashi dama kirikira ko yada labaran karya.

#AdainaYadaLabaranKarya

Two months down the confirmation of the index Coronavirus case in Nigeria, the social media has been awash with various claims ranging from preventive to curative measures against the deadly novel virus.

Exploring the trending narratives that have emerged from disinformation in Nigeria, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has witnessed series of interesting developments including the sharp rise in the number of deaths in Kano, the country’s second-largest city located in the North-West region.

While the situation in Kano state has been marred by poor communication around the COVID-19 response, as well as new regulation designed to target fake news, which unfortunately has the potential to be used to suppress conversations around the disease, this piece will look at some of the significant developments.

Over 200 deaths in a single cemetery in Kano?

Kano state is a  hotbed for misinformation, with a vast appetite for disinformation. On April 22, 2020, fact-checkers at the CDD spotted a 30-second Hausa video posted by Kelsoblog9ja on Facebook claiming that 200 people had been buried in the city of Kano.

The video captioned: “Here is another burial of 200 people in Kano – whom the cause of death is not known”, showed many people moving in and out of a cemetery while a commentator narrated an assumed scenario.

Speaking in Hausa, the speaker said: “Look at how a cemetery looks like a wedding place, seeing dead bodies has become common, forgive us oh God, have mercy on oh God, we repenting oh God!”

Our investigations revealed that contrary to the video circulating, there was no funeral for 200 people in Kano on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

The closure of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) office and poor record-keeping complicates matters.  CDD fact-checkers visited different cemeteries to get accurate details of the number of deaths in the State. 

CDD checks showed several interesting phenomena; on the one hand, residents of Kano are generally ambivalent to the danger posed by COVID-19. However, a spate of high profile and ‘strange’ deaths, spurred the production of panic-driven misinformation.

The spike of deaths in Kano also forced the federal government to launch an investigation into the occurrence as the state governor refuted claims of mass burials. It is clear that the unfolding situation in Kano state, is sensitive, and the lack of state capacity and infrastructure, there is a strong likelihood of continued health misinformation in the State.

Please see our fact-check here.

Lagos Government releasing lists of hospitals exposed to COVID-19 cases

On Thursday, April 23, 2020, CDD fact-checkers spotted a statement circulating online alleging that the Lagos State Government had released a list of health facilities in the State exposed to Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

The purported list was shared primarily on the WhatsApp medium, which is a massive channel for the distribution of disinformation.

During a briefing held on Sunday, April 19, 2020, the State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, said that about 17 hospitals in the State have reached out to the Ministry for assistance after being exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) patients. There was, however, no mention of hospital names by the Minister.

A few days after the announcement by the Lagos State’s health minister, a list of 17 private health facilities in Lagos made its way to online blogs and social media platforms.

Interestingly, the Lagos State Government reacted to the news in a statement on Thursday, April 23, 2020, which urged members of the public to disregard it. Abiola Idowu, the Secretary of Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), in Lagos, also confirmed that the list did not emanate from the agency or the Ministry of Health.

Please see our fact-check here.

COVID-19: Widespread ‘FG’s Relief Collation Form’ is a Scam

Since President Buhari revealed the existence of relief funds, there has been an explosion in the fraudulent attempts to scam Nigerians into parting with their sensitive details, using the bait of COVID-19 palliatives. This past week has not been different. On Monday, April 20, 2020, CDD fact-checkers received several WhatsApp broadcast messages containing the link to a Google Form with the title ‘Relief Disbursement Collation Form’ for verification by members of the public.

The form which bears the Federal Government of Nigeria had a deadline for Monday, April 20, 2020. The online Google form requested applicants to fill their personal details, including their residential address and bank account numbers.

Following the blow to the economy, millions of Nigerians, many of whom work in the informal sector have been affected by the pandemic and as such for COVID-19 relief from the Federal Government.

These Nigerians have also become susceptible to fraudulent schemes which promise the delivery of relief funds with a dubious plan to extract personal information from unsuspecting members of the public. The scammers use the identity of influential and wealthy individuals and government agencies to lure potential victims.

This is not the first time such claims on possible monetary relief has been made. Between March 25 and 28, 2020, a WhatsApp broadcast message went viral with the claim that the Federal Government was set to pay citizens N8,500 per week to sustain the stay at home directive for the containment of the Coronavirus pandemic. A similar link was created for people to register for the scheme.

In the same week, CDD fact-checked a similar false claim that a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, would disburse N10,000 weekly to Nigerians as palliative through the Atiku Foundation. This week, another source had alleged that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo has personally decided to send N5,000 directly to every Nigerians’ account using their BVN.

All these claims which follow the same pattern have turned out to be false.

The rise in popularity of these fraudulent messages led the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital & New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, to caution the public against filling such forms.

Ogunlesi wrote: ‘’This Relief Disbursement Collation Form being circulated is a SCAM. NEVER EVER, under any circumstances, give out your BANKING + PERSONAL details to ANY online ‘data collection’ form. Never. Don’t do it. Don’t even wonder if it’s genuine or not. Just don’t do it!’’.

Read the complete fact-check here.

CONCLUSION

This week has seen how the danger of weak governance structures, as are the case in Kano state, contribute to a burgeoning information crisis, with significant adverse effects.

The erosion of public trust in institutions is not helped by state governors denying the apparent rise in deaths; neither is the evident lack of health expertise which led to several NCDC staff in contracting COVID-19 in Kano, leading to the eventual closure of the office.

This closure had a ripple effect of eliminating the only method of tracking the spread of the virus. So, not only do we have confusing and divisive information coming from the state government, but the lack of testing capacity means it is challenging to build a clear picture of what is happening.

The socio-economic condition of the majority of Nigeria as laid bare is the unfortunate rise in scam messages which also raises inquiries on the actual process of disbursement of the relief funds. The lack of clarity on how the funds are being disbursed contributed to the rise in misinformation.

As we head into the last week of federal lockdown for the states of Lagos, Ogun and FCT, there is less clarity than ever on the actual data on the spread of the disease, and following that, a clear sense of what the road forward will be. Therefore it is only like that along with the virus; disinformation will continue to spread.

CLAIM:

Fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) spotted numerous online reports claiming that Kano state has recorded 74 new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19)in the state on Saturday, April 25, 2020,

The reports which appeared on online newspapers and across various social media platforms claimed that the Kano state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, during a press conference announced that the state recorded 74 new positive cases of COVID-19.

According to the reports, Ganduje said that out of 487 samples of the suspected cases taken from the state, 74 turned out positive.

For instance, report by Daily Post Newspaper said Kano has recorded 74 new cases of COVID-19 as several other online newspapers including Ripples Nigeria also reported similar story on Saturday, April 25, 2020.

FACT:

CDDfact checkers investigated the claim and found that contrary to what several newspapers and social media users have reported, only four new cases of Coronavirus were recorded in Kano on Saturday, April 25, 2020.

A confirmation of the investigation was also made by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on their website.

The NCDC announced that only four cases turned out positive in the state bringing the number of COVID-19 patients to 77 in the state.

The agency also said that Kano state has recorded only one death from Coronavirus and zero discharges as at 11:55 pm on April 25, 2020.

CONCLUSION: 

The news report being widely shared that the Kano state has on Saturday, April 25, 2020, recorded 74 news cases of COVID-19in the state is false.  The confirmed cases in Kano state as at Saturday, April 25, are four. 

CDD,therefore, urges members of the public to disregard the claim while advising that the authenticity of reports be thoroughly checked before publishing and dissemination.

VERDICT: False

CLAIM:

A 30 seconds Hausa video posted by Kelsoblog9ja on Facebook on April 22, 2020, claimed that 200 people have been buried in the city of Kano.

The report spotted by fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) was captioned: “Here is another burial of 200 people in Kano – whom the cause of death is not known”.

The video showed many people moving in and out of a cemetery while a commentator who spoke in Hausa said: “Look at how a cemetery looks like a wedding place, seeing dead bodies has become common, forgive us oh God, have mercy on oh God, we repenting oh God!”

FACT:

After thorough investigation, CDD fact-checkers found there was no funeral for 200 people in Kano on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, as claimed by the report.

CDD also established that the video failed to justify the claim or answer vital questions like how the people died and which of the cemeteries in Kano they were buried.

Also, having claimed such a huge number of deaths, the report only showed three bars in an open truck which indicates that only three people were buried as against the number being reported.

Checks and inquiries made by CDD fact-checkers revealed that there was no news of such calamity within the Kano metropolis.

As at the time of releasing this fact-check, there has not been any statement from from the Kano State Government, the Police, Ministry of Health in the state.

However, the Assistant Secretary/PRO of Kano State Cemeteries Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Tukur Tarauni debunked the claim.

Tarauni told CDD fact-checkers that: “The news is unbelievable and entirely fake and that even in a big cemetery like Tarauni, between 10-15 people were buried on that day.” He added that the panic created by fake news entrepreneurs is uncalled for.

CONCLUSION

The funeral of 200 people did not take place in a single cemetery in Kano on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. The report which has already gone viral is fake. 

CDD uses this opportunity to caution the general public against peddling fake news.

#stopFakeNews

#StaySafe

CLAIM: Fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Thursday, April 23, spotted a statement circulating online claiming that the Lagos State Government had released a list of health facilities in the State exposed to Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

The purported list which has been extensively shared on WhatsApp has the names of 17 health facilities in the State.

FACT: Checks by CDD revealed that the Lagos State Government never released such list. During a briefing held on Sunday, April 19, 2020, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said that about 17 hospitals have reached out to the Ministry for assistance after being exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) patients. Prof. Abayomi, however, never mentioned the names of the hospitals.

A few days after the announcement by the State health minister, a list of 17 private health facilities in the State started circulating online.

Reacting to the list, the Lagos State Government in a statement on Thursday, April 23, 2020, urged members of the public to disregard it.

Abiola Idowu, the Secretary of Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), in Lagos, also confirmed the list did not emanate from the agency or the Ministry of Health.

Mr Idowu, while acknowledging that some health facilities might have unintentionally admitted or treated patients with COVID-19, appealed to members of the public to desist from stigmatizing any health facilities or individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Furthermore, in the statement, which was posted on the Lagos State Ministry of Health’s official twitter handle, the government warned health care facilities in the State against unauthorized admission and treatment of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

According to the statement, any facility caught violating the laid-down protocol of operations, especially about COVID-19 case management would be sanctioned.

CONCLUSION

The Lagos State Government did not release a list of 17 private hospitals exposed to Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

The CDD is urging members of the public to avoid sharing information that may cause panic and harmful to the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.

CLAIM: The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Monday, April 20, 2020, received several WhatsApp broadcast messages containing a link to a Google Form with the title ‘Relief Disbursement Collation Form’ for verification by members of the public.
The form which bears the Federal Government of Nigeria had a deadline for Monday, April 20, 2020.
The online Google form requested applicants to fill their personal details including their residential address and bank account numbers.

FACT:
Due to the lockdown, many Nigerians are currently hopeful for COVID-19 relief from the Federal Government.
CDD’s analysis shows that the high citizens’ expectation follows the disbursement of various forms of reliefs in other countries such as the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Fact-checkers in CDD have also gathered that internet scammers use the opportunity to create various schemes, which aim to extract personal information from unsuspecting members of the public. The scammers use the identity of influential and wealthy individuals and government agencies to perfect their plan.

This is not the first time such claims on possible monetary relief has been made. Between March 25 and 28, 2020, a WhatsApp broadcast message went viral with the claim that the Federal Government was set to pay citizens N8,500 per week to sustain the stay at home directive for the containment of the Coronavirus pandemic. A similar link was created for people to register for the scheme.

In the same week, CDD fact-checked a similar false claim that a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, would disburse N10,000 weekly to Nigerians as palliative through the Atiku Foundation.
This week, another source had alleged that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo has personally decided to send N5,000 directly to every Nigerians’ account using their BVN.

All these claims which follow the same pattern have turned out to be false. The intention, CDD analysis revealed, is to collect personal data of unsuspecting members of the public which is later used for fraudulent activities.

The trending Federal Government of Nigeria Relief Disbursement Collation Form is the latest of these fraudulent schemes; it also requires applicants to fill out their personal data including Bank Verification Numbers (BVN).
Reacting to the message, a Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital & New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, cautioned the public against filling such forms. He wrote:
‘’This Relief Disbursement Collation Form being circulated is a SCAM. NEVER EVER, under any circumstances, give out your BANKING + PERSONAL details to ANY online ‘data collection’ form. Never. Don’t do it. Don’t even wonder if it’s genuine or not. Just don’t do it!’’.

CONCLUSION
The trending Federal Government of Nigeria Disbursement Form is a SCAM. No legitimate organisation will request that applicants fill their BVN and account details online.

CDD is cautioning members of the public against filling such forms or sharing them until they can verify their authenticity from relevant authorities.

Tushe Magana:

Wani labari da wata jarida da ake wallafawa a yanar gizo mai suna National Daily Newspaper ta wallafa wani labari  a ranar Asabat, 18 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020 a shafin ta na yanar gizo dama shafin ta na Facebook inda ta zayyana cewa Shugaba Muhammadu Buhari ya nada Ambasada Babagana Kingibe a matsayin sabon shugaban ma’aikatan fadar sa. Labarin ya cigaba da cewa, kasancewar sa wanda ya rike mukamin Abba Kyarin na wucin gadi tun lokacin da marigayi Abba Kyarin yake jinya, Shugaba Buhari ya tabbatarwa da Babagana Kingibe mukamin sabon shugaban ma’aiktan fadar shugaban kasar.

Wannan jarida tayi wa Kingibe fatan alkhairi bisa sabon mukamin inda tace: “muna tayaka murna Babagana Kingibe, Allah yayi maka jagora amin”.

Gaskiyar Magana:

Binciken da masu tantance sahihancin labari na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya da Cigaba (CDD) suka gudanar ya gano cewa wannan labari ne na bogi. Kawo lokacin hada wannan rahoton a ranar 19 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020 babu daya daga cikin fadar shugaban kasa ko mashawartan sa bangaren yada labarai da suka sanar nadin sabon shugaban ma’aikatan fadar shugaban kasar. Karin binciken da CDD ta aiwatar ya gano cewa labarin da jaridar National Daily din ta wallafa ya gaza bada cikekken bayani game da inda ta samu labarin ko wanda ya sanar nadin Kingiben ko kuma majiyar da jaridar ta dogara da ita ta wallafa labarin. Har wayau acikin labarin, jaridar tayi alkawarin kawo cikekken bayani ga masu karanta labarin amma har lokacin hada wannan rahoto hakan bai faru ba.

Kammalawa:

Shugaba Muhammadu Buhari bai nada sabon shugaban ma’aikatan fadar sa ba. Labarin da ake yadawa cewa an nada Anbasada Babagana Kingibe bai tabbata ba. Ana shawartan mutane da suyi watsi da wannan labarin. CDD na jan hankalin mutane da su guji kirkira ko yada labaran karya. A rika tantance labari kafin wallafawa ko yadashi.

#AdainaYadaLabaranKarya

Tushen Magana:

A ranar Ladi, 19 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020, masu tantance sahihancin labari na Cibiyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya da Cigaba wato CDD sun gano wani labari da ake yadawa a dandalin sada zumunta na Facebook cewa sanannen malamin addinin Musuluncin nan wato Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Mahmoud Gumi ya shawarci Shugaba Muhammadu Buhari akan ya nada tsohon Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Sunusi II a matsayin shugaban ma’aikatansa fadar shugaban kasa, wato mukamin da marigayi Abba Kyari ya rike kafin rasuwarsa.

Labarin wanda aka wallafa shi da misalin karfe 12:29 na ranar Asabar, 18 ga watan Afirilun shekara ta 2020 yayi ikirarin cewa Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Gumi wanda shine babban limamin Masallacin Sultan Bello dake Kaduna ya bukaci Shugaba Buhari da ya maye gurbin marigayi Abba Kyari da tsohon Sarkin Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sunusi II.

Gaskiyar Magana:

Masu tantance sahihancin labari na Cibyar Bunkasa Demokaradiyya da Cigaba (CDD) sun tuntubi Sheikh Dr. Ahmad wanda ya nesanta kansa da wannan labarin.

Sheikh Gumi ya kara da cewa: “banyi wata magana makamanciyar wannan ba, bani da masaniya akan inda labarin ya bulla ko wadanda suka kirkire shi. Yanzu nake jin labarin daga wajenku (CDD). Batun nada shugaban ma’aikatan fadar shugaban kasa abune da shafi shugaban kasa kai tsaye dan haka bance komai akai ba kuma bazan ce ba, ina kira ga jama’a da suyi watsi da wannan labari na bogi”.

Kammalawa:

Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Gumi bai shawarci Shugaba Muhammadu Buhari da cewa ya nada tsohon Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Sunusi II a matsayin sabon shugaban ma’aikatan fadar shugaban kasa ba. Wannan labari ne na bogi saboda haka CDD na jankalin jama’a da suyi watsi dashi su kuma rika tantance kowane labari ko bayani kafin yadashi.

#AdainaYadaLabaranKarya

Claim: an online newspaper National Daily Newspaper on Saturday 18^th April 2020 reported on both her website and Facebook page that President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed Amb. Babagana Kingibe as his new Chief of Staff. The claim said that having been acting as Chief of Staff since late Abba Kyari was hospitalised, Buhari allowed Kingibe to continue as confirmed Chief of Staff. The story began with a congratulatory message to Babagana Kingibe: “congratulations Babagana Kingibe, may almighty Allah lead you through Ameen”.

Fact: an investigation done by CDD fact-checkers discovered that the story is fake as neither the President nor his media aides have made any official announcement on the appointment of the new Chief of Staff as at the time of writing this report on Sunday 19^th April 2020. Reviews by CDD fact-checkers revealed the story by  National Daily Newspaper ended abruptly and lacked source or attribution,  Place and time.  But instead, the paper ended the story with a phrase “details shortly”, CDD fact-checkers realised no further details have since been shared as at the time of the filing this fact check.

Conclusion:

President Muhammadu Buhari has not appointed a new Chief of Staff. The story claiming Babagana Kingibe has been appointed is Unconfirmed for Now. Members of the public are urged to disregard the claim. CDD strongly advises people to desist from writing or sharing fake news. Always verify news report before sharing.

#StopFakeNews