FACT-CHECK: Viral Video Of Tear-Gassing RAC Centre in Modakeke Is Genuine, But Ballot Box-Snatching Claim Remains Unverified!
BY: Habeeb Adisa & Mustapha Lawal
Claim:
A viral video circulating on social media shows security operatives tear-gassing residents during the ongoing Osun State governorship election, with claims that a ballot box was also snatched and taken away.
Verdict: Partly True.
Full Text:
A video circulating on social media during the ongoing Osun State governorship election shows security operatives dispersing people amid confusion at an unidentified location in the state.
The footage has been shared alongside claims suggesting that police officers tear-gassed residents and that a ballot box was subsequently snatched and taken away during the incident.
The video has generated reactions online, with some users using it as evidence of alleged electoral violence and disruption during the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
Verification
Findings by FactCheckAfrica show that the video is genuine and was recorded during the ongoing Osun State governorship election. However, the claim that a ballot box was carted away during the incident could not be independently verified at the time of publication.
FactCheckAfrica first subjected the video to a digital verification process. The 52-second video was examined frame by frame, while a set of 195 keyframes supplied for verification was compared with corresponding frames extracted directly from the original video file.
The comparison showed that the keyframes correspond to the same footage contained in the video. There was no indication from the frame sequence that the footage had been assembled from unrelated clips.
The video also contains an “Infinix HOT 30i” watermark, while technical examination of the MP4 file showed that it had been processed by a Twitter/X video encoder. The file metadata contained a creation timestamp of August 15, 2026, at approximately 7:26 a.m. UTC, or 8:26 a.m. Nigerian time.
However, because the file had been processed by Twitter/X, the timestamp cannot be treated as the original camera-recording time. It only establishes that the version examined was processed around that time.
The timing nevertheless corresponds closely with the publication time of the X post from which the video was obtained.
We also found a report by AIT that Governor Adeleke confirmed the tear-gassing of voters In Modakeke.
Police Confirm Incident
To further establish the circumstances surrounding the footage, FactCheckAfrica contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, he confirmed that the incident shown in the video occurred.
According to the officer, the tear-gas canister was not fired by the police. Rather, a local resident allegedly fired the tear gas, after which the individual was apprehended by security personnel.
The police officer’s account therefore confirms that the incident captured in the viral video was real and that tear gas was used during the confrontation. However, it differs from the impression created by some social media posts that the police themselves were responsible for firing the tear gas.
FactCheckAfrica also asked the P.P.R.O about the allegation that a ballot box had been snatched and taken away during the incident. The officer did not respond to the question before ending the telephone conversation.
Consequently, the police interview does not provide evidence confirming that a ballot box was removed from the polling location.
What The Video Shows
A frame-by-frame examination of the footage shows security personnel moving through an area where a number of people are gathered. The footage captures moments of confusion as people move away from the security personnel.
Several frames show uniformed security personnel, vehicles and members of the public in the same location. The sequence remains visually continuous throughout the approximately 52-second recording.
A woman speaking in Yoruba can also be heard in the footage reacting to the incident, and raining curses on the police officers.
Conclusion:
The viral video circulating in connection with the ongoing Osun State governorship election is genuine and captures a real incident involving security personnel and residents.
However, the accompanying claim that the incident resulted in a ballot box being snatched and carted away remains unverified.
A police officer contacted by FactCheckAfrica confirmed the incident and said a local resident who allegedly fired the tear gas had been apprehended. The officer, however, did not respond when asked about the alleged removal of a ballot box.
Therefore, while the video itself is authentic, it should not be used as evidence that a ballot box was snatched during the incident without additional independent evidence.
