Fact check: Were Food Laden Trucks from the North Stopped from Entering the South-West Nigeria?
Claim: A viral video circulating on social media and various blogging platforms alleges that trucks transporting foodstuffs from the Northern region are reportedly encountering restrictions at Kwara-Jebba, preventing them from entering the Southwest.
Full text: On February 17, 2024, a video which caused concern for Netizens surfaced on “X”, the video was posted by one chuxenyi, and the caption reads: “Trucks carrying foodstuff from the North to the South are allegedly stopped and asked to reverse.”
“Very soon we’ll soon see pipelines going up in flames and Petrol tankers stopped from going up north. Interesting times ahead!”
The video, widely circulated, depicts trucks laden with foodstuffs parked along the side of the road. Some travellers who shared the video from the scene said the trucks were allegedly being stopped at Kara, Jebba, the border between Niger State and Kwara State.
Drivers of the trucks were allegedly turned back and asked to offload in northern states.
The travellers could be heard in the video saying: “They are stopping any truck that are carrying foodstuffs from North, they are turning them back, they don’t allow them to go beyond this place. They said they should turn back to the North or offload it here, this is kara-jebba, the last town in Niger State before you enter Kwara State”.
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Verification: PRNigeria fact-check discovers that it was an old video that was posted on Twitter (Now “X”), on February 26, 2021, by one @henryshield but the original post seem to have been removed. However media reports by newsdirect, tori and other platforms conformed the original tweet and the date it was first posted.
Following the report at the time, the Defense Headquarters promptly issued a response, cautioning individuals and groups attempting to obstruct the unrestricted transportation of agricultural goods from the North to the Southern region of the country.
The then Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, gave the warning in a statement on the same day the post was shared on media platforms.
He said: “DHQ wishes to clarify that following the tension generated by the incident, joint troops comprising the military and other security agencies were deployed to clear the Jebba-Kaduna road and have since restored normalcy in the general area.
“There is currently free flow of traffic along the axis. Members of the public, commuters and residents are please urged to go about their normal businesses.”
Two days later, Sahara Reporters reported that movement of food trucks from the North to South had resumed.
“Business operators in Kwara and neighbouring states have heaved a sigh of relief as free movement of foodstuffs resumed after some hoodlums reportedly blocked the Ilorin-Jebba Expressway over the weekend…,” the report reads.
Conclusion: Based on the facts gathered by the PRNigeria Fact Check desk, the video circulatig on social media with claims that trucks transporting foodstuffs from the Northern region were prevented from ‘entering the Southwest’ is an old video of an incident that was later resolved in 2021.
PRNigeria therefore concludes that the video of food laden trucks from the North being prevented from entering the south-west is MISLEADING.
By PRNigeria
