FACT CHECK: Is this a video of a Nigerien minister crying after being asked to give account of funds

CLAIM: A video has gone viral on social media purportedly showing the Minister of Finance in the Niger Republic, Ahmat Jidoud, weeping profusely. The video was shared by multiple accounts with the same caption: “Niger Republic’s Finance Minister, Ahmat Jidoud cried after the Military told him to account for all the money in the next 48 hours or face execution by firing squad.”

VERDICT: False!

FULL TEXT

The Republic of Niger recently fell into the hands of a military junta after a successful coup against the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazourn. The coup was staged by the Presidential Guard led by General Abdourahamane Tiani who declared himself the Head of State, while President Bazourn is placed under arrest.

World leaders and international organizations have condemned the coup and have responded with one form of sanction or another.

The Economic Organization of West African States (ECOWAS), led by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has threatened military intervention if the coupists fail to comply with its seven-day ultimatum for the reinstatement of the democratic government.

Conversely, the military junta in Niger has attracted the support of other military regimes in Africa, including Burkina Faso and Mali. There are also speculations that the regime is supported by Russia.

There have been protests both for and against the coupists in Niger, many of which have resulted in violent clashes.

THE VIDEO

The man in the viral video is said to be the Minister of Finance, Ahmat Jidoud. It was reported that he broke down in tears after he was asked by the new military rulers to account for money spent while in office, or else he would be sentenced to death.

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VERIFICATION

First, a Google search of the Niger Minister of Finance or ‘Ahmat Jidoud’, returns with a picture totally different from the man crying in the video.

Below is the picture of Ahmat Jidoud, the Nigerien Minister of Finance in the toppled government. There is no report that he has been placed under arrest or threatened with a death sentence

Secondly, Ripples Nigeria ran a frame-to-frame check of the video with the use of InVid. It found that the video has been on the internet since 2021. The man in the video is Marou Amadou.

The same video on a facebook page in December 2021 has a caption written in Hausa. When translated to English, it says: “Former Minister of Justice, Marou Amadou is crying after being appointed Niger’s ambassador to Ethiopia.

Confirmation checks show that indeed, the man in the video is Marou Amadou, although the true reason for the outburst cannot be confirmed. Another page says he cried while paying tribute to Mahamadou Issoufou, the former President of Niger before the toppled President Bazourn.

CONCLUSION

The man crying in the viral video is not Nigerien Minister of Finance, rather he is Marou Amadou, Niger’s former Minister of Justice.

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