Fact-check: Was Kano Political Critic, Kwamanda Assaulted for Criticizing Governor Abba Yusuf?
Claim:
A claim has been circulating in a viral video on various social media platforms, alleging that Kano-based political analyst and critic, Dan Balki Kwamanda, was recently assaulted for criticizing the governor of the state, Governor Kabir Yusuf Abba.
The one-minute, nineteen-second video is accompanied by text encouraging viewers to share it widely: “Let this go VIRAL… Kano Political Analyst and Critic Dan Balki Kwamanda getting whipped for criticizing the State Governor ????.”
In the video, a man is seen being interrogated and whipped by unidentified individuals in plain clothes for allegedly insulting the Governor.
The men questioned him about his criticism of the governor. The footage shows the man being coerced to explain his alleged derogatory remarks made during a radio programme. Throughout the video, the man pleads for leniency, stating, “I have a heart problem,” repeatedly.
Verification: PRNigeria fact check team viewed the entire video whose dialogue is in Hausa languages. A literal translation of the video reveals that Kaduna state was at the center of the discussion and not Kano.
When broken into key frames and a reverse image search conducted, findings show that this claim was widely shared on WhatsApp.
Further inquiries by PRNigeria reveal that no local media within and around the state or mainstream media have reported anything recently connected to the video. Similarly, toggled keyword searches on social media interchangeably using the name Dan Bilki Kwammanda + Abba Kabir Yusuf + Kano did not reveal any result that suggests the critic was attacking governor Yusuf.
Instead, the voices of those assaulting Kwamanda can be heard questioning him in Hausa language about his criticism of Governor Uba Sani, despite him not being from Kaduna State.
Further verification revealed that the incidence occured in July 2024 and not recently as portrayed.
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In an interview in which Kwamanda recounted his ordeal, accusing the governor of orchestrating the assault. He stated:
“They were sent by Governor Uba Sani to beat me. I can recognize some of them, and I know where they got the handcuffs from. Look at the bumps and scars on my hands and back. Some police officers did it. Uba Sani directed them to do it. They said they would kill me and throw me into the water. They filmed me while beating and insulting me. I was humiliated to the core.”
PRNigeria’s investigation further revealed that the Kaduna State government disassociated itself from the assault on the political commentator.
A statement from Muhammad Lawal Shehu, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani, dated July 18, 2024, strongly condemned the act, describing it as “barbaric” and uncharacteristic of the state’s values. The statement read in part:
“The attention of the Kaduna State Government has been drawn to a video that has gone viral showing one Dan Balki Kwamanda being whipped by unidentified persons. In the video, fingers were pointed at the Kaduna State Government. The Kaduna State Government wishes to strongly disassociate itself from this heinous act. It is not in our character. Such barbaric acts have no place in a decent society.”
Notwithstanding, recent developments indicates that Governor Uba Sani, and Dan Balki Kwamanda have since resolved their previous differences.
Kwamanda now praises the governor, stating that he was unaware of the assault, which he attributes to individuals trying to attract the governor’s attention. In a subsequent video during one of his radio broadcasts in Hausa, Kwamanda commended Governor Uba Sani’s leadership and encouraged other northern state governors to emulate his exemplary governance.
Conclusion
Based on findings by PRNigeria, the video was that of an incidence that occured in June 2024 precisely, involving Kaduna State Governmnet in which Governor Uba Sani’s team later distanced itself from and not Kwamanda being assaulted for criticising Kano state Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf.
PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim that Kano political analyst and critic, Dan Balki Kwamanda, was assaulted for criticizing the governor of Kano State, Kabir Abba Yusuf is misleading.
By PRNigeria
