EDITOR’S CHOICE: ROUNDCHECK’s Reports That Made Defining Moments In 2022

The year 2022 came with lots of misinformation and disinformation as well as hoaxes that we targeted at misleading members of the public.

At ROUNDCHECK, we ensured that certain misleading information is corrected through accurate reports.

This year, our volunteers and researchers went beyond their comfort zones to provide insights, knowledge and explainers into certain trending rumors that were later discovered to be false.

Here, we bring you some reports that made measurable impacts in 2022:

1. Revealing How Fake Sites Steal Visitors’ Details, Hack Accounts Through Misleading Adverts  by Quadri Yahya (December 3, 2022)

This report detailed how scammers are positioning tactics to mislead unsuspecting members of the public. From scholarships to visa lotteries and giveaways, scammers are finding their way to target users through WhatsApp. These scams, which may also include jobs, grants, airtime and data rewards usually have a text attached to them.

Following the publication of this report, it provided more information and insights for members of the public and especially overzealous youths on how to spot hoaxes and scams.

2. Who Is The Longest Serving Monarch In The World After Queen Elizabeth II? Here Is What We Found  by Egwu Linus (October 3, 2022)

In this report, a viral post on WhatsApp claimed that Awujale of Ijebu Ode, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who has spent 62 years on the throne, is the longest-serving monarch in the world currently- after the passing away of the Queen Elizabeth.

We checked and available information confirms that it is CORRECT.

3. CLOSE CHECK: Despite Revoking Licenses, Nigerian Broadcast Regulatory Body’s Website Still Inactive  by Adesola Ikulajolu (August 22, 2022).

This particular report digged into how the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), a Nigerian body responsible for the regulations and control of broadcast activities in Nigeria, was operating an inactive website.

In about 24-hours after the report was published, ‘NBC Reactivates Website After ROUNDCHECK Findings’. The site of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is now active and accessible.

4. MISSING CONTEXT: Nigeria’s Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi Didn’t Say ‘He’ Pulled 439 Million People Out Of Poverty  by Muhammed-Bello Buhari  

A statement attributed to Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), saying he “pulled 439 million people out of poverty” has been circulating online.  The statement is an excerpt from a video where Peter Obi spoke in Kaduna State.

5. MISLEADING, Tinubu Media Center Used 2019 Pictures To Represent Senator Wamakko Grassroots Mobilization For APC’s Presidential Candidate by Muhammed-Bello Buhari (August 17, 2022)

An image of a large crowd, on August 8, 2022, went viral on social media after a page, Tinubu Media Center – TMC posted it and claimed that Senator Wamakko, a former Governor of Sokoto state and Senator representing Sokoto North Senatorial District, has begun grassroots mobilisation for Tinubu in Sokoto state. We checked and it was misleading.

6. No Conclusive Evidence To Show Regular Sex Prevents Prostate Cancer  by Caleb Ijioma (July 24, 2022).

This particular report delved into a claim by a Twitter user identified as @_47kasz who claimed that Men must have sex up to 30 times a month to avoid prostate cancer. Our findings revealed that there are no conclusive evidence to validate the claim.

7. CLOSE RANGE: What Reports Showed On Aregbesola And Oyetola’s Reconciliation?  by (Salako Emmanuel) June 29, 2022)

Several tweets attached with pictures on Twitter, claim that Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the Fmr Osun State Governor and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola settled their age-long rift and vow to work together to win the July 16 gubernatorial election in Osun State and the 2023 presidential election for All Progressives Congress (APC).

8. True, Canadian University Removes Nigeria From English Test Requirement  by Salako Emmanuel (June 13, 2022)

This report confirmed how the University of Alberta, Canada, removed Nigeria from the list of other countries whose students must present IELTS & other English tests before admission.

9. Have The House of Rep Approved Request For The Nigerian Army To Carry Out “Operation Positive Identification” Nationwide?  by Samuel Agbelusi (May 28, 2022)

ROUNDCHECK analyzed the information that the House of Representatives approved the request of the Nigerian Army to carry out an exercise called “Positive Identification” across the nation.

10. National Population Commission E-Recruitment Empowerment 2022 Is False by Oluwapelumi Olajiga (July 21, 2022)

A Circulating post on WhatsApp claims the National Population Commission has Launched its recruitment Empowerments portal ahead of the 2022/2023 census. After a thorough check, ROUNDCHECK discovered that it was False.

11. No, Canada Is Not Issuing Visa Lottery. The Link Is Fake by Fatimah Idera (November 11, 2022)

After analyzing the claim that the Canada visa lottery application for 2022/2023 is open and that the Canadian Government has Increased the number of VISA issued to people through visa lottery by 500% in  2022, our findings showed that it is False.

12. FACT-CHECK: Is Winners Chapel Spending 114 Billion Naira On Its New Building As Posted By A Facebook User?  by Akinola Abidemi (March 23, 2022)

 On Monday, March 14, a Facebook user, Tope Fasua posted a screenshot made from WhatsApp on his Facebook page. The post stated that Winners Chapel needs 200 million dollars to build their ark, that is 114,000,000,000 billion in naira.

13. Will Wizkid feature Portable as Claimed by a twitter user? by Samuel Agbelusi (January 23, 2022)

This report checked the authenticity of the claim that popular Afrobeat star, Wizkid will feature the fast-rising singer Portable in his upcoming album MoreLoveLessGo.

14. HOAX: Femi Otedola Not Giving Out #20,000 Grants For 60th Birthday Celebration  by Fatimah Idera (November 18, 2022)

There was a viral message on WhatsApp claiming that Nigerian billionaire, Femi Otedola is giving out 20,000 grants to all individuals for his 60th birthday celebration. It was False.

15. INCORRECT: This Fake Website Claim Emirate Airline And Coca-cola Are Offering Anniversary Giveaway  by Oluwapelumi Olajiga (September 10, 2022)

ROUNDCHECK came across a link posted on a Whatsapp group. We observed that this link might be malicious and went further to check.  Upon opening the link, we observed that Emirate Airlines is said to be currently offering free tickets to different countries as part of an anniversary giveaway. This, after a thorough check, proved to be False.