A Facebook user, Chisco Eze, claimed that Trump has threatened to arrest Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu within 24 hours.

 “Breaking: ‘Watch Your Back’ — Trump Says U.S. Could Capture Nigerian President in 24 Hours,” The Facebook user wrote.

The Facebook user further wrote that Trump allegedly warned Tinubu to “watch his back” as the US could capture him within 24 hours without the Nigerian military knowing how it would happen.

The post published on Sunday, January 4, 2026, has since generated 160 likes, 57 comments, and 19 shares as of January 16, 2026.

While some Facebook users did not believe the purported plan by the U.S president to capture Tinubu, others welcomed it.

 “Do fast to capture sleeping president of Nigeria,”Ogbonna John wrote.”You guys are not serious,when did he say so?” Another user, Ddee Olu commented.

“Trump, please come to our aid in Nigeria; this hardship is too much,” Mohammed Baba Musa pleaded.

Interaction between Nigeria and Trump occurred on 31 October after the U.S president declared Nigeria a country of particular concern. According to his post on Truth Social, Trump attributed the move to the killing of Christians in Nigeria.

In the post, the US President wrote, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern.’

However, the Nigerian government rejected the genocide claim and sent a delegation to the United States led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

On December 25,  2025, during the Christmas celebration, the United States conducted an airstrike on terrorists hideout in Sokoto state, Nigeria.

Just as the new year started, Trump threatened military intervention in Nigeria if the killings of Christians persisted.

Due to the post’s sensitivity and its potential to create international conflict between the US and Nigeria, ROUNDCHECK decided to verify the claim.

ROUNDCHECK Findings

ROUNDCHECK conducted a keyword search on Trump’s alleged plan to capture Tinubu and found no credible report from reputable news outlets.

ROUNDCHECK also checked International news platforms like BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, and found nothing related to the post. For a claim as sensitive as this, it would have been reported on reputable news platforms.

Although there have been instances where Trump actively sought the capture of a country’s president.

On January 3, 2026, Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, after accusing him of corruption, drug trafficking, and posing a threat to the United States interests.

Also, on January 4, 2026, Trump warned Iran that if they “start killing people like they have in the past, they will get hit very hard by the United States”.

ROUNDCHECK thoroughly check Trump’s active and accessible social media accounts, including Truth Social and X, as well as his presidential handle on X, to locate where he mentioned capturing the Nigerian President.

However, no official statement regarding an alleged attempt or threat to arrest President Tinubu was found.

Trump and the White House page has always posted their activities for public accessibility.

Verdict

The claim that Trump has threatened to capture Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu have no evidence.

At the time of this report, no reputable news outlet has reported any threat or plan by the United States to capture Nigeria’s president.

This post came amidst the United States’ President Donald Trump’s alleged “Christian Genocide” in Nigeria.

A Facebook user, Evangelist Ibrahim Dikko, claimed Boko Haram insurgents have abducted and murdered the CAN chairman of Michika Local Government in Adamawa State after rejecting a N50 million ransom.

The post further described the act as “another genocide,” to suggest that the event happened recently.

The post’s caption reads, “Boko Haram abducted and murdered the CAN chairman of Michigan Local Gov. in Adamawa State after rejecting 50 million random paid, another genocide.”(sic)

The claim, posted on November 8, 2025, attached a supposed TVC News live broadcast from Adamawa, with the headline, “INSURGENCY: BOKO HARAM REJECTS N50M RANSOM, BEHEADS CAN CHAIRMAN”

As of November 9, 2025, the post has generated significant engagement on Facebook, with over 61,000 views, 2,100 reactions, 987 comments and 1,700 shares.

A survey of the comment section shows mixed reactions, with most users accepting the incident as recent. While some users called for US intervention, others sympathised with the deceased.

Likewise, some users corrected some typos in the post: the Local Government name as “Michika”, not “Michigan” and “ransom” not “random”.

Another user, Femi Adeparusi, wrote, “Donald J. Trump, Your Excellency Sir, this is to inform you that they have not stopped”

More Accounts Pushing The Narrative

Another Facebook page, Your Mumu Never Do, shared the post, claiming the incident happened recently.

The post read, “Donald J. Trump  Another Christian Rev. Pastor Just got Beheaded in Michigan Local Government in Adamawa State of Nigeria. Boko Haram abducted and murdered the CAN chairman of Michigan Local Gov. In Adamawa state after rejecting 50 million random paid, another genocide.”(sic)

The claim can also be found on Facebook here, here, here, here, here, and here. On Instagram here and here.

ROUNDCHECK conducted this fact-check due to the virality and potential to cause religious tension.

ROUNDCHECK Findings

ROUNDCHECK conducted a keyword search on Google. The result revealed that the incident occurred in January 2020 and was widely reported by Nigerian media organisations.

TVC News indeed reported the incident and can be found on Vanguard, and ThisDay, among other credible media outlets.

News reports confirm that Pastor Lawan Andimi, the then chairman of CAN in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, was abducted by Boko Haram in early January 2020.

According to these reports, the insurgents rejected a N50 million ransom and later executed Andimi.

No credible news report established that Boko Haram, in 2025, murdered the CAN chairman in Adamawa; instead, the Police and the State’s chapter of CAN have dismissed the circulating claims.

The Facebook post recirculated a five-year-old story without proper context, misleading readers into believing it is a current event.

The current CAN chairman in Adamawa, Reverend Joel Danjuma, is alive.

Verdict

The claim that Boko Haram recently abducted and murdered the CAN chairman of Michika Local Government in Adamawa State after rejecting a N50 million ransom is MISLEADING.

The event occurred in 2020, not in 2025.

Social media users claimed that the United Nations has recognised Amotekun and declared July 7 as its annual celebration.

Amotekun, officially called the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), was launched in 2019 as a response to the growing insecurity in Southwest Nigeria. That year, the six Southwest governors convened a regional security summit under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, where they agreed to create a regional security outfit to address security gaps in the region.

Members of this security network have grown in numbers over the years, and recently, the corps mobilised over 2,000 personnel, with ongoing recruitments across several Southwest states to strengthen its operational capacity.

Recently, a Facebook user posted that the United Nations have recognised the Ondo arm of Amotekun, and that July 7 has been set aside to celebrate the Security Network annually.

The claim has garnered 101 likes and 15 comments as of July 29, 2025, with users sending congratulatory messages.

One user, Olusegun Olubusayo, said: “Congratulations, they are really trying”.

The claim also appeared on X and has been published on several news platforms, here, here, here and here.

This claim is important for ROUNDCHECK to investigate because it tends to mislead the public by falsely attributing UN recognition and authority to a local security outfit without official endorsement.

ROUNDCHECK Findings

ROUNDCHECK discovered that this claim emanated from several news publications. These news publications (here, here, here, and here) quoted one Dr. Markwili Mgbara, Director of Information and Communications for the International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA).

The report said Dr. Mgbara, on behalf of Per Stafsen, World Peace President, Denmark, presented the recognition at the Amotekun Corps headquarters in Alagbaka, Akure, Ondo state, and disclosed that the recognition falls under the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) consultative status. He described Amotekun as the first state-owned security outfit in Nigeria to be affiliated with the United Nations.

ROUNDCHECK reached out to a reporter who wrote one of the news reports and obtained a 2:59-minute video clip of the event. A part of the video claimed that Amotekun has been assigned a date, July 7, which has been marked by the UN General Assembly to globally celebrate “Amotekun Day.”

“ It is on record that Amotekun has been kept aside on a date marked globally in the record of the United Nations which has not been done anywhere in Nigeria, the first time recorded, that on the 7th of jJuly every year has been declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations as Amotekun Day to to be celebrated all over the world,” a part of the video says.

The video shows Ondo State Amotekun Commander Adetunji Adeleye receiving a plaque certificate from Dr. Markwili Mgbara. While presenting the certificate, Dr. Markwili said it is embroidered in the United Nations office, and it was presented from the council of the United Nations ECOSOC conservative status, and the International Association of World Peace Advocates, recognising that from the date of the certificate delivery, Amotekun is already a trained corps of the United Nations security.

ROUNDCHECK spoke to the Ondo State Amotekun Commander, who confirmed that an event was held and documents were given to him recognising Amotekun.

“Certificates were given to Amotekun as a recognised security organisation by the United Nations through the World Peace, and the ceremony took place. I can tell you they gave us all the certifications, duly signed, and they showed us evidence that the processing of all other things are in place. You should know that it follows a procedure; it is not today that it was declared that they will put it on the world calendar, and we are talking of celebrating it by the next one, which is next year,” he said.

ROUNDCHECK visited the website of IAWPA and found that it is a civil society organisation operating as a non-profit entity.

While checking through, we noticed that the said Director of Information and Communications,  Dr. Markwili Mgbara, whom all news platforms relied on, is not listed in the Executive Council Member list, nor is he on the full Members list, but Per Stafsen was found.

ROUNDCHECK also checked various social media platforms and did a Google search about the name, but there were no results.

To check if this CSO is truly registered in Nigeria as claimed on its website, ROUNDCHECK visited the Corporate Affairs Commission website and discovered that it was registered with the commission on August 13, 2021, but now has an inactive status. Also, it was observed that a similar name is under registration.

To verify if the organisation is related to the United Nations Economic and Social Council as claimed, ROUNDCHECK visited the ECOSOC website. A quick search revealed that IAWPA has a special consultative status in the ECOSOC.

A conservative status allows non-governmental organisations to take a role in formal UN deliberations. According to ECOSOC, to be eligible for consultative status, an NGO must have been in existence (officially recognised by a government) for at least two years, must have an established headquarters, a democratically-adopted constitution, authority to speak for its members, a representative structure, appropriate mechanisms of accountability and democratic and transparent decision-making processes.

ROUNDCHECK discovered that IAWPA listed a Nigerian address as its headquarters in its consultative status profile. This Address is different from the address seen on the organisation’s website.

However, despite having a conservative status at ECOSOC, ROUNDCHECK findings revealed that IAWPA, which is an NGO, cannot speak or act on behalf of the United Nations, as they are independent bodies and only observers, not UN representatives.

The ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31 discloses that NGO’s with consultative status, just like IAWPA, can:

1) Attend UN Meetings, 2) Submit Written Statements, 3) Make Oral Presentations, 4) Consult with the UN Secretariat, 5) Assist with UN Work, and 6) Participate in UN Conferences and Events.

The endorsement of Amotekun on behalf of the UN and also declaring a special date for the security agency to be celebrated annually cannot be done by IAWPA. IAWPA cannot declare international observance days, nor have the authority to define such UN recognitions.

Such powers reside exclusively with UN member states through resolutions, such as the UN General Assembly.

ROUNDCHECK reviewed the ECOSOC website and found no information related to Amotekun recognition. Also, the UN website and social media pages (X and Facebook) have no information regarding the claim.

Additionally, a review of the UN’s calendar of official observance days reveals no July 7 “World Amotekun Day”, as claimed by Dr. Markwili of IAWPA in several news reports.

ROUNDCHECK reached out repeatedly to the United Nations ECOSOC for comments, but there has been no response at the time of this report.

Verdict

Misleading! Findings revealed that the UN has not recognised Amotekun as of the time of this report. The organisation that made the statement is not a UN agency and cannot act on behalf of the body.

There has been no official statement from the United Nations or any of its agencies endorsing Amotekun and declaring an international observance day for the local security outfit to be celebrated.

On Oct. 8, 2020, Nigerians protested nationwide against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The Nigerian police unit was accused of extrajudicial killings and extorting young Nigerians. This protest, which started on October 8 across different regions in the country, led to the disbandment of SARS across the 36 states in Nigeria on Oct. 11, 2020.

However, DUBAWA noticed that social media users posted claims that SARS has recently been reformed with new rules of engagement. This claim made on LinkedIn by Prince Wonodi has garnered 134 comments and 121 reposts as of June 5, 2025.

The claim highlighted several new rules of engagement for SARS, one of which is “no SARS personnel is allowed to conduct a stop and search exercise unless there is a distress call from victims or members of the public.”

The Special Adviser posted the exact claim on Facebook to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage and Water Resources in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe and has gathered 953 shares as of June 5, 2025.

Due to the nature of the claim and its impact on the credibility of security infrastructure in Nigeria, DUBAWA decided to investigate this claim.

Verification

We found a disclaimer posted on the NPF’s website on Feb. 10, 2025. Nigeria police Public Relations  Officer, Oluwamuyiwa Adejobi, in the signed statement, disclosed that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, which was disbanded on Oct. 11, 2020, is not back in operation and remains dissolved.

The disclaimer debunked information regarding SARS reformation and rules of engagement, and advised that such information should be treated with caution.

DUBAWA checked through the NPF social media X handle and noticed the same disclaimer was posted debunking the claim, with no updated information regarding SARS reformation.

Seeing this debunk was from February, and the claim is circulating again, we tried to contact the PRO to confirm if this is still the situation. However, all our efforts were unsuccessful as he did not respond to our calls or messages.

Also, because of how sensitive the information is, it would be expected that media organisations would report it. However, no verified news platform posted information regarding the SARS reformation.

Conclusion 

SARS has not been reformed and remains dissolved. The NPF’s earlier claim was debunked, and no signs of its reformation are in sight at this time.

This report was published under the Dubawa Kwame KariKari Factchecking and OSINT Fellowship.

Claim

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, alleged on X that Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, was accorded a military guard of honour during an event organised by the Community Auxiliary Development for Effective Transformation Network (CADETN) and that firearms were used at the ceremony.

Full Text

On 29 December 2024, a former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, in a press release signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, tweeted a claim on X, along with a video, that a military guard of honour was accorded to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, at a programme organised by the Community Auxiliary Development for Effective Transformation Network CADETN in Ogun State.

Atiku also said that the CADETN used military firearms. As of December 31, 2024, the tweet had been reposted by 105 people, with 137 likes and 44 quotes.

Comments under the post showed that some X users believed Atiku’s claims. For instance, North Watch @SalihuIbra60974 commented, “This highly condemnable and unacceptable. The north voted for PBAT not Sheyi. Where was Sheyi when his dad lost Lagos in 2023 general election? Time to stop this abuse so as not to further tarnish our image globally. (sic).” Similarly, Ayo Aluko, CNA commented, “This is a show of shame…Seyi Tinubu isn’t a public officer and should be accorded such whether it is a commissioned cadet or not…it’s an abuse of power.. shameful . (sic)”

However, some X users disagreed with Atiku. Wale Adebayo commented, “Even a partially blind man will know that this is just a paramilitary group. Atiku has remained a loser for years because of the level of reasoning of the people he has surrounded himself with. Smh. (sic).”  Opeyemi Odesola quotes, “Are you saying Atiku is that ignorant to know this ain’t the military? Na this man wan be commander in chief of the Armed forces? (sic).”

Given the vitality of Atiku’s statement and its relevance, we conducted this fact-check.

Findings

Claim 1: Military Honour Was Accorded To Seyi Tinubu

Atiku Abubakar claimed that the Nigeria President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, was accorded a full military honour.

Critical analysis of the video showed that the guard of honour was performed by CADETN, a private youth organization with no affiliation with the military or Armed Forces.

According to CADETN’s official Facebook page, the Community Auxiliary Development for Effective Transformation Network is a voluntary youth organisation established to empower the Nigerian youth through training, mentorship and community service and not a military organisation.

The uniform worn by members of this paramilitary entity is their paramilitary ceremonial dress and can be found here, here and here.

Also, the Nigerian military has debunked the claim that a military guard of honour was accorded  Seyi Tinubu by men dressed in military uniform.

According to Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, the personnel in the video are unknown to the military, stating “They are not our personnel. We don’t dress that way. We don’t have this type of badge of rank. We don’t know them”.

The statement from Gusau can also be found here, here and here.

Similarly, the CADETN’s Corps Commander, J. G. Fatoye in a statement also confirmed that the organisation is a youth uniformed organisation and not a military outfit without any affiliation with the military or Armed Forces.

Fatoye added that the guard of honour was not only accorded to Seyi Tinubu but also to other dignitaries and high-ranking officials, a common ceremonial gesture to welcome dignitaries at its events as a sign of respect and appreciation.

Verdict: INCORRECT

The claim that a military honour was accorded to Seyi Tinubu during the programme organised by CADETN in Ogun State is false. No military regalia was used and the guard of honour was performed by the CADETN, a paramilitary voluntary youth organization not military personnel.

Claim 2: CADETN Used Firearms

Atiku through his press release further claimed that the Community Auxiliary Development for Effective Transformation Network (CADETN) used firearms in the parade shown in the video.

The release reads in part: “What is even more alarming is the brazen use of firearms by civilians in this so-called parade — at a time when illegal arms proliferation is at a dangerous high in our country (sic)”.

A close examination of the video revealed that the objects held by the uniformed CADETN group during the guard of honour are wooden carved rifles, used by paramilitary for ceremonial and rehearsal purposes, particularly for mounting guards of honour.

Analysis of the video showed that the wooden dummy rifles have no triggers and other features of military rifles.

We found similar dummy rifles from some of the ceremonies held by another paramilitary here.

The CADETN’s Corps Commander, J. G. Fatoye also confirmed that any weapon seen in the video is that of the security details of the dignitaries and not that of the organisation.

The men bearing real rifles in the video did not partake in the guard of honour and they appear to have escorted dignitaries to the event.

Fatoye’s statement reads: “We will like to state categorically that no ammunition was used and no military paraphernalia was used during the guard of Honour as peddled by critics. The guard of Honour was mounted using wooden dummy rifles as it is practice among other uniform organizations. Any weapon seen in the video is that of the security details of the dignitaries and not that of the organization. (sic)”.

Verdict: INCORRECT

Atiku’s claim that the Community Auxiliary Development for Effective Transformation Network (CADETN) used firearms in the parade is incorrect, as evidence shows they used wooden carved rifles instead.

Conclusion

The claims by Atiku Abubakar that Seyi Tinubu received a military guard of honour and that firearms were used during the CADETN event in Ogun State are false. Investigations revealed that the guard of honour was performed by CADETN, a paramilitary youth organisation unaffiliated with the Nigerian military, and the rifles used were wooden dummy rifles for ceremonial purposes.

NOTE: This report was written by an alumni of the ROUNDCHECK volunteers network and co-published.

A media report circulating online claim that protesters have been shot dead while others injured in Niger State.

The post seems to have been copied from another online platform, Naija News, who used same image to depict killing of protesters in Niger State.

ROUNDCHECK Findings

Using a reverse image search, ROUNDCHECK discovered that a media outlet reported a story using the same image.  The report which was published by Aminiya, the Hausa-language arm of Daily Trust Newspaper reads: “Jami’an Tsaro Sun Yi Harbi A Gidan Gwamnatin Kano,” which translates to “Security Officers Shot At Kano Government House.”

ROUNDCHECK also made use of  Google Map and discovered that the image is the front view of the Kano State Government House and the Coronation Hall adjacent to it.

Verdict

The image representation is INCORRECT. The image does not appear to be from Niger State but from Kano State where citizens are currently protesting in front of the Kano government house.

Claim

On June 19, 2023, a popular Twitter influencer, Rinu Oduala with the handle @SavvyRinu, alleged that the newly appointed acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun was previously an orderly for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and a ‘staunch loyalist’.

She believed that his sentiment can hinder the police reform Nigerians have clamored for since 2020.

Full text of the claim reads: “So Tinubu’s former police orderly and ‘staunch loyalist’ is now the new Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force?”

On Monday,  June 19, 2023, Deputy Inspector General, Kayode Egbetokun, was appointed as the next Inspector-General of Police in an acting capacity pending constitutional confirmation by the National Assembly.

Dele Alake, the President’s special adviser on special duties, communication and strategies, in a statement, had announced a list of newly appointed services chiefs.

Rinu’s tweet was supported by her followers as a show of lack of trust in the new appointment. The tweet gathered over  5635 reactions and 1906 retweets in a few hours and keeps increasing.

More Findings About The New IGP

The newly appointed IGP Egbetokun, is a 59 years old citizen of Ogun State who enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet ASP (Course 16) on 3 March 1990, served as Chief Security Officer to Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2005. 

Before his recent appointment, he also served as the Commander of Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, the Squadron Commander of Mopol 5, Benin, Benin City, the Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Fraud Unit at the FCT Command in Abuja, and the Chief Superintendent of Police, Administration at the Lagos State Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

ROUNDCHECK Findings

ROUNDCHECK subjected the claim to Google keyword research ‘Egbetokun former police orderly to Tinubu’ in order to verify the validity of the claim made by SavvyRinu.

We discovered that from 1999 to 2005, Egbetokun served as the CSO to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was formerly the Governor of Lagos State, according to a number of mainstream media outlets.

The information was found on media outlets like Premium Times, Punch, Daily Trust, Ripples Nigeria and other news publishing organizations.

Based on our findings, we found that the new IGP, Kayode Egbetokun was a former CSO to President Tinubu.

Verdict

Note that, an orderly is an officer ‘assigned to perform various services (such as carrying messages) for a superior official.’

The claim made by SavvyRinu that Nigeria’s new IGP was a former orderly to President Tinubu is CORRECT.

This report is produced by this author, under the ROUNDCHECK’s Volunteers Network Project cohort III.

On April 23, 2023, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Arewa made two claims  on Twitter that there are over 3 million Nigerians in Sudan and the richest person in Sudan is a Nigerian. 

She made these claims while responding to inquiries about how Nigerians are studying in Sudan.

Full text of her tweet: “We have well over 3 million resident there. Even more , but let me just put it at that estimate. The richest person in Sudan is a Nigerian” [sic].

The claims have garnered over 463 retweets, 139 quotes and 1,619 likes as at the time of filing this report.

ROUNDCHECK can establish that Abike Dabiri’s claims are in connection with the ongoing crisis in war-ravaged Sudan.

We checked the claims and findings showed that they are incorrect.

The Sudan Crisis 

Sudan, a North African country was thrown into an armed conflict as rival factions struggled to take control of the country. 

The civil war started on April 15, 2023, in the heart of Khartoum, the country’s capital city, before it spread to other parts of the country. 

The fighting began with attacks on key government sites by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Airstrikes, artillery and gunfire have been exchanged between the RSF forces and forces siding with Sudan’s de facto leader and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. 

Since the fighting erupted over a week ago, nearly 500 people have been killed and almost 4,100 injured, the United Nations said.

Crisis-ridden Sudan is home to about 46.7 million population, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.

As the generals agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire, countries are evacuating their nationals.

Countries that have evacuated citizens so far include the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Spain amongst others.

Nigeria’s Efforts To Evacuate Its Citizens From Sudan

On Wednesday, April 15, 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) commenced the evacuation of Nigerians in Sudan.

The evacuation process is in line with NiDCOM‘s duties which is headed by Abike Dabiri-Erewa as Chairman. This makes her a major player in the evacuation of Nigerians who are stuck in Sudan.

NiDCOM in a tweet on April 26, 2023 shared a video displaying buses (meant to convey Nigerians from Sudan) parked in line, and subsequently shared pictures showing Nigerians on the queue for registration.

According to a media report by The Punch, the Nigerian government was said to have released the sum of N150 million $325,824.88 (CBN rate) for hiring 40 buses to transfer its citizens from Sudan to nearby border Egypt; from where they will continue the journey back to Nigeria. 

Claim 1

We have well over 3 million residents there. Even more , but let me just put it at that estimate – Dabiri-Erewa 

The claim was also reported by an online blog here with the headline ‘Over three million Nigerians live in Sudan, one is country’s  richest man’ [sic].

ROUNDCHECK Findings 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in a recent interview with Channels Television, said there are over 5,000 Nigerians in the crisis-ridden Sudan.

He puts the Nigerian population figure in Sudan which he claimed to have gotten from the Embassy at 5,500.

When the anchor of the ‘Sunday Politics’, Seun Okinbaloye the programme asked Onyeama the number of Nigerians in Sudan, he said: “The figure that was given today (April 23) was 5,500 by the Embassy“. 

We further conducted different keyword  searches which led us to a 2018 interview by DailyTrust where the then Sudan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ibrahim Bushra, said there are over 5 million Sudanese of Nigerian origin in Sudan. 

He said: “One might say the relationship between Nigeria and Sudan is a long standing and deeply-rooted history. As a matter of fact, it is a unique relationship as the two countries do not share border. Yet, blood relations, as evidenced by the millions of Sudanese people of Nigerian origin, convey the strong social and cultural bonds between the two countries. In the past, pilgrims from Nigeria seeking to perform the hajj would trek all the way to Hijaz, crossing through Sudan. Many of those making their way back from the holy trip would settle and intermarry with the locals, given the long distance. That is how we now have approximately over five million Sudanese of Nigerian origin in Sudan.”

However, there is no clarity as to what he meant by the usage of ‘Sudanese of Nigerian origin’, but we can establish from his preceding response that he refers to Nigerians who have settled during their return from hajj and are now Sudanese (either by marriage or registration).

Meanwhile, there is no official record – recent or previous – stating the population of Nigerians in Sudan.

Neither the Sudan government nor any of the related embassies released any data/document showing the Nigerian population in Sudan. 

Abike Dabiri-Erewa said there are over 3 million Nigerians in Sudan; a 2018 interview with Nigerian Ambassador to Sudan says the figure is about 5 million ‘Nigerians of Sudanese’ origin; then the Nigerian Foreign Minister quoted the Embassy to have revealed the  population figure at 5,500 (of Nigerians in Sudan) 

We can conclude that the claim is UNCONFIRMED as there is no official document to show the number of Nigerians in Sudan at this period.

Verdict: UNCONFIRMED 

 Claim 2

The richest person in Sudan is a Nigerian.

A blog also reported the claim here with the headline: ‘Nigerian Richest person in Sudan says Dabiri-Erewa‘

ROUNDCHECK Findings We conducted a check on Forbes, a global finance, technology and leadership company (also known for rankings) where it was revealed that Mohammed “Mo” Ibrahim is the richest man in Sudan.

Who Is Mo Ibrahim, Sudan’s Richest Man

According to the global magazine which ranks everything from world billionaires to colleges, the Sudanese-British businessman, Mo Ibrahim has an estimated wealth of $1.2bn and he is the 2,391st richest person in the world.

He was born on 3 May, 1946 in Sudan, of Nubian descent, an ethnic group whose traditional homelands stretch from Southern Egypt into Northern Sudan. His family moved to Alexandria, Egypt when he was young. 

Ibrahim has a bachelor’s degree from Alexandria University in electrical engineering. He returned to Sudan and started working for a telephone company named Sudan Telecom.

He moved to England and earned a master’s degree from the University of Bradford in Electronics and Electrical Engineering, and a PhD from the University of Birmingham in Mobile Communications.

He founded Celtel International in 1998, one of the first mobile phone companies serving Africa and the Middle East.

He later sold Celtel to Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company for $3.4 billion in 2005 and he pocketed $1.4 billion.

Ibrahim also chairs the board of Satya Capital, a private equity fund that invests in African businesses, education and healthcare.

Further checks on the background of Mo Ibrahim reveal he has no link with Nigeria as both parents have their origin from Southern Egypt into Northern Sudan.

ROUNDCHECK can conclude that the richest man in Sudan is not a Nigerian as claimed by Chairman of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The claim is INCORRECT. 

Verdict: INCORRECT 

Besides, A Nigerian Does Not Make Top Five Richest Men in Sudan

ROUNDCHECK further checked whether a Nigerian makes the list of top five richest men in Sudan.

Our check revealed that no Nigerian made the list of richest Men beside Mo Ibrahim, here are the top richest men, all of whom are of Sudan extraction:

Osama Daoud Abdellatif

Osama Daoud Abdellatif is a Sudanese businessman and the chairman of DAL Group, a large number of companies based in Khartoum, Sudan. 

The company, which has tentacles in food and beverage, agriculture, heavy equipment retail, automobile distribution, education and healthcare, generates annual revenues of more than $1.6 billion. 

DAL Food Industries has been the sole bottler and distributor of The Coca-Cola Company brands in Sudan since 2002. 

Daoud is from Wadi Halfa City in the north of Sudan. He graduated from Manchester University in 1972 from business management and received an Honorary Ph.D. in Business Management from Sudan University.

Amin El-Nefeidi

Amin El-Nefeidi is the president of Elnefeidi Group, one of Sudan’s most prominent family-owned conglomerates. Over years,  Elnefeidi’s tiny local soap shop grew into a larger wholesale outlet with the support of his two brothers, and by the 1970s had diversified into livestock, oil and transportation. 

It has annual revenues of more than $400 million and operates in the agriculture, automotive, commercial, food, logistics, mining, and real estate sectors.

Ahmed Abdellatif

Ahmed Abdellatif is the President of CTC Group, a Sudanese private limited group of companies, established in 1956 as The Central Trading Co. Ltd. 

With annual revenues in excess of $200 million, CTC is a major importer, trader and distributor exclusively representing some of the world’s major manufacturers of agricultural and construction machinery, consumer electronics, automobiles and fertilizers in Sudan.

Salih Abdelrahman Yagoub

Salih Abdelrahman Yagoub is the chairman of the eponymous Salih Abdelrahman Yagoub Co. (SAY Co.), which he founded in the 1960s. 

The company has annual revenues of more than $100 million and operates in numerous fields ranging from industrial construction to trading to retail to services.

Conclusion

ROUNDCHECK findings show that the claim that there are over 3 million Nigerians in Sudan is UNCONFIRMED. 

Our findings also show that the claim that a Nigerian is the richest person in Sudan is INCORRECT. 

A Twitter user, Mr Utility (@utilityopeyemi), claimed that Nigerian troops have arrested a foreign pilot in Niger state, who supplies weapons to bandits.

This viral claim with pictures has been circulating on social media platforms including Twitter, and Facebook, and forwarded many times on WhatsApp.

The post reads: “Pilot who supplies weapons to bandists has been arrested in Niger State. Juan Remy , an helicopter pilot who supplies weapons to bandists has been arrested .Congratulations to our troops”

The post, which was made on the 26th of August, 2022 has 3 likes as of the time of this report. But on other mediums, it has generated several likes, shares, and comments.

ROUNDCHECK also observed that the claim has been circulated on different new media platforms— blogs.

ROUNDCHECK Findings

ROUNDCHECK subjected the pictures to google reverse image search and realized that the pictures in the said claim were attached to a post made by a French website-Dakaractu in May 2021.

The headline of the report after being translated reads: Central African Republic: A 55-year-old French national arrested with an impressive military arsenal

The report revealed that security forces of Bangui, the Central African capital, arrested a 55-year-old French national, Juan Rémy Quignolot, who owned large quantities of arms and ammunition.

It also states that the Central African authorities through the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Bangui announced that they have opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the existence of this important military arsenal.

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, DR Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest, and Cameroon to the west, and its capital is Bangui.

This was also confirmed by other media platforms, here, here, and here.

In June 2021, REUTERS reported that he ( Juan Rémy Quignolot) was charged with espionage (the practice of spying or using spies to obtain information about the plans and activities especially of a foreign government or a competing company) in the Central African Republic, a month after he was arrested with a cache of weapons and ammunition at his home.

Police, Air Force Flags Report As False

The Niger State Police, in a conversation with ROUNDCHECK, described the claim as false.

In another statement titled “NO FOREIGN NATIONALE DISTRIBUTING WEAPONS ARRESTED IN NIGER STATE” and signed by the Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasui Abiodun, the force noted that such an incident never occurred in Niger State.

“It is also pertinent to state that there has never been a report of any foreign Nationale with helicopters distributing weapons to hoodlums in the State.”

“The Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command CP Monday Bala Kuryas, urges members of the public to disregard such a report as it is aimed at creating unnecessary chaos in the public domain,” a part of the statement reads.

Similarly, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, stated that the claim is false.

Verdict

We found that the picture wasn’t taken in Nigeria and it is not as current as claimed in viral claims.

ROUNDCHECK can confirm that the post claiming that a foreign pilot was recently arrested in Niger state with ammunition is INCORRECT.

Claim

A website ‘recruitmentbeam.com’ posted a claim that the Nigerian Police force has commenced recruitment for the 2022 Police Constable position. The post was made on August 11th, 2022.

ROUNDCHECK analyzed this claim and found it to be False.

What Is The Police Constable?

The Police constable is an establishment in the police force that gives greater assurances to the communities. The Police Constables are generally established to work closely with communities, oftentimes, they go on patrol by foot, cars, and bicycles.  They also engage community groups and Individuals in gaining knowledge about different neighborhoods to identify individuals and locations — at risk of being involved in crime.

Police Constable Recruitment in Nigeria

In a report by the Premium Times newspaper on the 30th of November 2021, the recruitment of Police Constables was announced in a statement signed by the then Force’s Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba.  The report stated that the application had commenced on the 29th  of November 2021 and closed on the 10th of January 2021. This was the last time the Police Constables recruitment took place in Nigeria.

ROUNDCHECK Findings 

Upon clicking the website, a breakdown of directions on how to apply for the recruitment was given to the applicant with a new web link which is supposed to take the applicant to the recruitment portal.

But a click on the new web link takes the applicant to the homepage of recruitmentbeam.com rather than the recruitment portal— the link does not redirect to any other page.

To get more clarification, ROUNDCHECK made use of Scamadviser for further information on the website. Using Scamadviser, the tool presented the result of the website to be “likely to be legit. Trust rating high”

…Police Debunks Recruitment Claim

We visited the official website of the Nigerian Police Force to confirm the report. A press release was issued on the 22nd of August 2022 to debunk the news stating that the force has not commenced 2022 Police Constable recruitment. It further urged Nigerians to disregard the recruitment information.

Also, the verified Facebook page of the Nigerian Police carried the same information, debunking the recruitment exercise as false. As of the time of this report, the Nigerian Police is not recruiting Constables.

Verdict

The report claiming that the Nigerian Police Force has begun recruitment for the 2022 Police Constables position is INCORRECT.