FACT-CHECK: Did Borno Governor Zulum’s Wife Lift Primary School Mate Out of Poverty in Viral Video?
CLAIM: A trending video on WhatsApp claims that the wife of the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has dramatically improved the life of her primary school mate in Maiduguri, lifting her from poverty.
The circulating footage shows a woman presenting wrappers, a bundle of cash, and food packages including a 50kg bag of rice, a carton of spaghetti, and five litres of cooking oil.
VERIFICATION: To ascertain the veracity of the claim, PRNigeria undertook a thorough verification process. Our initial step involved translating the Kanuri voiceover in the circulating footage. A Kanuri-speaking member of the PRNigeria team provided a comprehensive translation of the content.
The translated voiceover reveals a heartwarming scene of enduring friendship and forgiveness, portraying two women, former primary school classmates, reuniting after years of separation. A close observer, who witnessed the reunion, narrated the emotional moment with profound gratitude and admiration.
“Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah. I pray that everyone lives with their friends like this,” the observer exclaimed, her voice filled with emotion. She explained that the reunion began with a chance encounter that quickly blossomed into an unforgettable visit.
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“She entered her car and took her straight to her house,” the observer recounted. “She was very happy.”
PRNigeria further discovered another video online that corroborated the scenes of gift presentation, including food packages, wrappers, and a bundle of money, as depicted in the widely circulated footage.
Crucially, further character verification revealed that the benevolent woman in the footage, initially purported to be Governor Zulum’s wife, is in fact Hajja Fati Kakenna, the Borno State All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader. She is not the wife of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum. The video clearly shows Hajja Fati Kakenna promising her primary school mate monthly financial assistance, food packages, and support to rebuild her house.
CONCLUSION: Based on our comprehensive findings, the woman featured in the circulating footage is indeed the Borno State Women Leader, Hajja Fati Kakenna, engaging with her primary schoolmate. While the act of kindness and support is evident, the claim that the woman is Governor Zulum’s wife is inaccurate.
PRNigeria, therefore, concludes that the claim circulating on WhatsApp is FALSE.
By PRNigeria
