Fact Check: Did #EndBadGovernance Protesters Attack Hausa Community, Markets in Imo State?
There is a disturbing viral video making the rounds across several social media platforms claiming that a Hausa Community, including their market, called Avu Market was razed down during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests.
The video with a voiceover rendered in Hausa also claimed that all Hausa settlements were attacked and their wares burnt to ashes across Imo State by the protesters.
The narrator stated that the Hausa community were abandoned to their fates by their leaders, while also admonishing whoever watches the video to share it virally.
To verify the veracity of the claim, PRNigeria fact-check carefully watched the video, then broke it into bits, and subject the broken bits to reverse image search.
The findings of our investigation revealed that the video was posted by a Facebook account, Nuru Shehu, about a year ago, specifically on July 29, 2023.
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His post on Facebook generated 9k likes, 1.7k comments, 13k shares and 435k views.
Verifying further, PRNigeria fact-check contacted Imo State Police Command PPRO, ASP Okoye Henry, who confirmed that there was no protest in the state, not to talk of razing down any Hausa Community or businesses.
ASP Okoye also confirmed that the viral mischievous video is the handiwork of mischief makers who are hellbent in pitching one part of the country against the other.
He clarified that the video of alleged razing down of Hausa Community was a fire outbreak in Avu Market, on May 29, 2023.
Conclusion
Based on the findings, PRNigeria concludes that the claim that a settlement belonging to Northerners in Imo State including their businesses were razed down during the nationwide protest is false and misleading.
By PRNigeria
