Fact-check: Were Igbo passengers burned to death in Kano as retaliation for the killing of Northerners in Uromi?
Claim: A viral image of a burnt 18-passenger bus has been circulating with the claim that it was set on fire in Kano. The claim suggests that the bus, which was carrying Igbo passengers, was burned as an act of reprisal for the killing of 16 northerners in Uromi, a community in the Esan North Local Government Area of Edo State. According to the claim, the victims were returning from Rivers State and were en route to Kano when the incident occurred.
The claim was accompanied by the following text:
“JUST IN: An 18-seater bus carrying Igbo passengers was set on fire in Kano. Panic has spread across the Igbo community in the state as Fulani men go on a rampage, attacking and killing any Igbo they come across in retaliation for the killings carried out by Edo hunters.
The 18-seater bus, the claim states, was traveling back to the East when an alleged violent Fulani mob ambushed it, set it ablaze, and left no survivors.
“Tragically, 18 Igbos lost their lives this morning while traveling back to the East. A violent Fulani mob ambushed their bus, set it ablaze, and left no survivors.
“Why attack Igbos?” it concluded.
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Verification: To verify the claim, PRNigeria conducted a reverse image search using Yandex, a reliable fact-checking tool known for analyzing images and their authenticity. The investigation revealed that the image was actually taken from an incident involving 19 wedding guests who lost their lives in a road accident in the Kwana Macji area of Pankshin Local Government Area, Plateau State, on January 13, 2020.
The victims, who were returning to Kano State after attending a wedding in Barkin Ladi, were involved in a tragic incident when their vehicle caught fire. John Dasar, Chairman of the Pankshin LGA Emergency Management Committee, confirmed that the fire broke out during rescue efforts, trapping the passengers inside.
PRNigeria also conducted keyword searches to further verify the claim, and the results corroborated the earlier findings from the reverse image search. The information confirmed that no fewer than 19 wedding guests died in the road accident in Pankshin, Plateau State.
Furthermore, the Kano State Police Command dismissed the social media reports claiming that an 18-seater passenger bus was attacked in Kano. In a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, on Saturday, it was stated that these reports were entirely false and misleading.
Conclusion: The viral image of the burnt bus, which was claimed to have been set on fire in Kano, actually depicts a tragic incident in which 19 wedding guests lost their lives in a road accident in the Kwana Macji area of Pankshin Local Government Area, Plateau State, on January 13, 2020.
Verdict: PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim that an 18-seater Igbo-laden bus was burnt in Kano in retaliation for the killing of 16 northerners in Uromi, Edo State, is False.
By PRNigeria
