FACT CHECK: Are these corpses of traders killed by bandits in Niger State?

CLAIM: A viral photo shows corpses of traders killed in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

VERDICT: Misleading!

FULL TEXT

Penultimate Thursday, news broke of an attack on a popular market in the Madaka community of Rafi LGA in Niger State. According to reports, an unspecified number of traders and customers were killed.

The attack happened two days after bandits were said to have attacked another community, Pangu Gari, during which they killed the district head and four other people.

Following the attack, this picture started circulating purportedly depicting those killed in the attack. The picture appeared here and here, both on X with thousands of likes and reports.

READ ALSO:FACT CHECK: Did Donald Trump criticize Nigerians for complaining about Tinubu’s govt?

VERIFICATION

Ripples Nigeria subjected the picture to a reverse image search and found that the picture is old and has been recycled multiple times with different claims

An old version of the same picture was posted on X in 2021. The caption reads, “Classrooms become mutuary in Zamfara”. Another version appeared in a March 2022 post on Facebook, claiming that the incident happened in Katsina State.

CONCLUSION

The claim that the viral picture is that of an attack on traders in Niger state is false. The picture is a recycled one whose source is unclear.

By: Oluwatobi Odeyinka

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now