FACT-CHECK: Did ‘Fulani Terrorists’ Set Fire to Yam Market in Plateau State as Claimed by X and Facebook Users?
By: Quadri Yahya
Claim: Fulani terrorists set fire to a yam market in Plateau State.
Verdict: False.
Full Text:
An X user with 7 thousand followers recently claimed that terrorists of Fulani extraction set fire on a yam market in Plateau State.
The recent post, made on April 3, has garnered diverse views online, with some people ridiculing the Fulani tribe.
The post has also gained more than 4 thousand views, 5 thousand likes, 4,000 reposts, 500 quotes and bookmarks.
It was also observed that some handles — of people from the North — were tagged in the post.
Insecurity, including banditry and terrorism have caused Nigerians nightmares over the years, especially in the Northern region of the country.
On April 2, the same post was published on a Facebook community with more than 4 thousand members. The post has 46 shares, 9 comments and 18 reactions — including angry emoji.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica examined the image of burnt yam attached to the post using Google Reverse Search.
We found that the image has been online since 2021. Daily Trust attached the pictures to a report of a fire outbreak at popular Namu Central Yam Market in Qua’anpan Local government Area of Plateau State.
According to the report, goods, food stuff and other valuables worth millions of Naira were destroyed in a fire incident.
FactCheckAfrica further observed that the X user and the Facebook user have some similarities: both used the same profile picture. A review of the handles revealed that they are related to the group agitating for the secession of the South East region, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Conclusion:
The claim that terrorists set ablaze a yam market in Plateau State is false. The X and Facebook accounts circulating the news often spread propaganda on social media.
