AFP Nigeria

The sachet water was part of larger donation packages

Published on 1 July 2020 at 15:15

A photo of bags of water arranged in batches has been circulating in posts mocking Aisha Bala Mohammed -- the wife of the governor of Nigeria’s northern Bauchi state -- for her apparently measly donation to “empower” local women. However, the image has been shared in a misleading context. While Mohammed did distribute the water, it was part of larger starter packages for female rural entrepreneurs, which also included money and items like spaghetti-making machines.

Brazilian MP was angry because new COVID-19 hospital was not operating yet

Published on 25 June 2020 at 18:18Updated on 26 June 2020 at 14:40

A widely shared video claims to show Brazilian lawmaker Filippe Poubel erupt in anger as he breaks into a field hospital that had claimed to have 5,000 novel coronavirus patients and finds it empty. In reality, the clip depicts the politician expressing his displeasure over a delay in opening a new COVID-19 hospital.

This is an example of a common scam for gaining Facebook followers

Published on 25 June 2020 at 17:45

Multiple posts shared thousands of times on Facebook in Nigeria claim to be giving out smartphones to help students attend online classes during the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, this is one of a growing number of scams aimed at increasing the followership of the pages and accounts.

Experts say cancer-causing “silver nitro oxide” does not exist as viral post suggests

Published on 24 June 2020 at 10:08

Multiple posts shared thousands of times on Facebook in Nigeria claim that US doctors have found a new type of cancer caused by so-called “silver nitro oxide” found in scratch cards. This is false; experts told AFP Fact Check that the compound in question does not exist.

This is an old photo of weapons seized from Boko Haram by the Nigerian military

Published on 23 June 2020 at 14:54Updated on 24 June 2020 at 10:09

An image showing men in military uniform standing next to a display of weapons has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook and Twitter. The posts claim it shows arms and ammunition taken from a member of parliament in Zamfara state, northwestern Nigeria. The claim is false; the photo was taken in 2013 when Nigerian troops displayed arms they said were seized from Islamist group Boko Haram.

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