• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • ICPC Secures Conviction of Rector for Running Unaccredited Degree Programmes

      Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

      Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

      Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Tinubu Jets to Brazil After Japan Summit, Eyes Trade, Security Deals

      Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), hosted the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji,

      Customs and the “National Single Window” Project

      FG Earmarks N13bn to Boost Power Infrastructure in Lagos, Ogun

      Centre for Crisis Communication, CCC,

      CCC Reviews Keyamo’s Crisis Management in Aviation Disputes

      NITDA Applauds Tech Giants for Advancing Online Safety in Nigeria

  • National
    • Delegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs Summit

      Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA

      Troops Neutralise 7 Bandits, Recover Motorcycles in Katsina

      PHOTOS: Finally, President Tinubu Confirms Pedro as NTA DG, Announces Three…

      FG, States, LGs Share N2.001trn for July, Says FAAC

      FG Unveils Personal Income Tax Calculator Under New Reform Laws

    • Government
      • FG, States, LGs Share N2.001trn for July, Says FAAC

        FG Unveils Personal Income Tax Calculator Under New Reform Laws

        Saudi Arabia Conducts Life-Saving Cardiac Surgeries in Kano

        FG Subsidises Dialysis Cost to N12,000, Says Northwest Not Excluded

        Ibrahim Yahaya Dandakata of Arewa Economic Forum AEF

        Arewa Economic Forum Alleges Targeted Removal of NTA Chief, Calls for…

  • Security
    • Police Recover arms from Boko Haram in Borno

      Man, 65, arrested for illegal arms deal in Anambra – Police

      Delegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs Summit

      Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA

      Troops Neutralise 7 Bandits, Recover Motorcycles in Katsina

      CRUSHING BLOW: other Top Boko Haram commanders neutralized in Bita, Wigo

      DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, PPRO Anamabra State Police Command,

      Police Command Moves to Address Protest Concerns in Anambra

  • Features
    • The Arrest of Ansaru Kingpins Mahmud Muhammad Usman aka Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri aka Mallam Mamuda

      Ribadu and the fall of Ansaru By Senator Iroegbu

      Fixing the Fault Lines in Nigeria’s Culture of Recognition, By Mukhtar…

      How Desperation Turns Nigerian Job Seekers Into Scam Targets By Tahir…

      Festus Keyamo Aviation Minister

      Rebuilding Trust in Nigeria’s Aviation Through Crisis Communication, By Mukhtar Ya’u…

      President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

      Citizen’s Diary: The message from the South-East to President Tinubu, by…

  • State
    • CRUSHING BLOW: other Top Boko Haram commanders neutralized in Bita, Wigo

      CP Jimoh Moshood

      Lagos Police Intercept Vehicle Loaded with Cannabis

      ACF

      ACF Decries Worsening Insecurity in the North

      Nigerian Navy Personnel

      Navy Hands Over Seized Smuggled Rice, Cannabis to Customs, NDLEA, Rescues…

      Inspector-General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun

      Police Creates 2 New Area Commands, Upgrades 5 Divisions in Benue…

  • Event
    • President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

      His Death is a National Loss, Tinubu Mourns Emir of Zuru

      Umar Lauya

      Umar Lauya Declares Candidacy for NYCN Presidency, Vows to Unite and…

      The Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Sugar Department Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin (L), with the CEO of Legacy Sugar Company, Alh. Abubakar Isa Musa (R), during the signing ceremony.

      NSDC, New Operators Seal Landmark Development Agreements, to Produce 400,000MT of…

      Regional Vice President Western and Central Africa at the World Bank, Mr Ousmane Diagana pays a courtesy visit to Baze University

      World Bank Vice President visits Baze University, Commends Educational Standards, Assures…

      NIPR President Ike Neliaku and a recently inducted PR professional from Kano

      PHOTOS: NIPR Inducts 80 New PR Professionals in Kano to its…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home Fact-Check FACT-CHECK: Is French Government Using ‘Drone Bird’ to Spy on Franco-Phone and...
  • Fact-Check

FACT-CHECK: Is French Government Using ‘Drone Bird’ to Spy on Franco-Phone and West African  Countries?

By
Prnigeria
-
January 12, 2024

FACT-CHECK: Is French Government Using ‘Drone Bird’ to Spy on Franco-Phone and West African  Countries?

CLAIM: A widely circulated WhatsApp message claims that the French government has created a novel ‘drone bird’ technology to spy on its former colonies and West African nations, following the recent coup in Niger.

FULL-TEXT: The text that accompanied the footage of the ‘drone bird’ flapping its wings reads, “This ???? is not a bird, if you see it anywhere around you, PLEASE be kind enough to shoot it down by *”ALL”* means possible and available to you… 

“They were chiefly developed by the French, to spy the francophone countries and our neighbors of West African countries after the coup in Niger. But now currently adopted by the terrorists around the sub-saharan regions of Africa [sic].

“So be at alert, because it’s been spotted around some villages in Minna (Niger State), Kaduna, Plateau and Bauchi remote areas. It is alleged to be sent to fly over, scan and see into the villages where  population is substantial, so that Boko Haram, Bandits or kidnappers will strike and kill and maim [sic].

Meanwhile, the French army had used birds of prey in 2017 to take down drones to protect its air bases and secure public airspace in case a drone posed a threat.

France 24 published, “Eagles were first used by the Dutch police force to intercept drones used by criminals and terrorists. Inspired by this success, the French military began training eagles for military programmes.

“A drone means food for these birds,” Gerald Machoukow, the military base’s falconer, told FRANCE 24’s Fanny Allard. 

“Now they automatically go after them,” he said.

Read Also:

  • Man, 65, arrested for illegal arms deal in Anambra – Police
  • Delegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs Summit
  • Troops Neutralise 7 Bandits, Recover Motorcycles in Katsina

In 2013, Egyptian authorities detained a bird on suspicion of spying after spotting an electronic device tied to its leg. 

However, they subsequently found that the apparatus was a wildlife tracker used by French scientists to study the movement of migrating birds.

VERIFICATION: Through Invid Verifier, PRNigeria dissected the footage, conducting a reverse image search on the bird-drone.

The findings revealed that the video originated from a TikTok user who captioned it, ‘The bird you see in the future may just be a toy.’ 

PRNigeria observes that the TikTok post was eventually removed, indicating its unavailability after multiple attempts to watch it.

The flying bird is a radio-controlled pterodactyl, developed by Ohio-based PaulG Toys, that actually flies by flapping its wings and emits a terrifyingly realistic pterodactyl screech. Its eyes light up red when it’s powered up, making it even more menacing. 

The Flying Pterodactyl’s battery works for 15 to 20 minutes of flight time, and can be swapped for a fully-charged optional extra battery on the spot. The bird has an operational range of 500 meters. If and when it crashes upon the death of its battery, its wing and leg joints pop off so they don’t get irreversibly damaged.

CONCLUSION: Based on the facts gathered by PRNigeria, there is no substantive evidence to confirm the claim that the French government invented a novel technology ‘drone bird’ to spy on their former colonies and West African countries.

The video of the bird-drone, known as ‘Flying Pterodactyl’ is a toy produced for entertainment and amusement.

PRNigeria, therefore, concludes that the claim that the French government had developed a bird-drone technology to spy on its former colonies and West African countries is Misleading.

By PRNigeria 

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Drone Bird
  • French Colonies
  • French Government
  • Spy
  • West Africa
Previous articleZamfara Ambush: Last Straw that Should Break the Camel’s Back
Next articleFact-check: Did Traditional Ruler Spray Chains of Money on a Fuji Musician Wasiu Ayinde?
Prnigeria
Prnigeria

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Police Recover arms from Boko Haram in Borno

Man, 65, arrested for illegal arms deal in Anambra – Police

Delegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs Summit

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA

Troops Neutralise 7 Bandits, Recover Motorcycles in Katsina

CRUSHING BLOW: other Top Boko Haram commanders neutralized in Bita, Wigo

PHOTOS: Finally, President Tinubu Confirms Pedro as NTA DG, Announces Three Female Executive Directors

Nigerian Military Refutes Misinterpretation of CDS Self-Defence Comment

Anambra Police Nab Suspected Vandals, Recover Transformer Parts, High-Tension Cables

Tinubu Jets to Brazil After Japan Summit, Eyes Trade, Security Deals

Saudi Arabia Conducts Life-Saving Cardiac Surgeries in Kano

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa

CDS Musa Charges Citizens to Learn Combat Skills for Self-Defence

Counter-Terrorism: ​MNJTF, OPHK Commanders Assess Lake Chad Operations

CP Ikiouye Orutugu

Anambra Police Arraign Four Over Child Defilement

Recent Posts

  • Man, 65, arrested for illegal arms deal in Anambra – Police
  • Delegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs Summit
  • Troops Neutralise 7 Bandits, Recover Motorcycles in Katsina
  • CRUSHING BLOW: other Top Boko Haram commanders neutralized in Bita, Wigo
  • Police Command Moves to Address Protest Concerns in Anambra
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Man, 65, arrested for illegal arms deal in Anambra - PoliceDelegations Arrive Abuja for Inaugural African Defence Chiefs SummitTroops Neutralise 7 Bandits, Recover Motorcycles in KatsinaCRUSHING BLOW: other Top Boko Haram commanders neutralized in Bita, WigoPolice Command Moves to Address Protest Concerns in AnambraPHOTOS: Finally, President Tinubu Confirms Pedro as NTA DG, Announces Three Female Executive DirectorsNigerian Military Refutes Misinterpretation of CDS Self-Defence CommentCDS, Katsina Lawmakers Strategize to Tackle BanditryFG, States, LGs Share N2.001trn for July, Says FAACLagos Police Intercept Vehicle Loaded with CannabisFG Unveils Personal Income Tax Calculator Under New Reform LawsACF Decries Worsening Insecurity in the NorthNavy Hands Over Seized Smuggled Rice, Cannabis to Customs, NDLEA, Rescues Trafficking VictimsPolice Creates 2 New Area Commands, Upgrades 5 Divisions in Benue to Boost SecurityAnambra Police Nab Suspected Vandals, Recover Transformer Parts, High-Tension Cables
X whatsapp