Fact-Check: No Evidence of Deaths from Allegedly ‘Cursed Rice’ in Lagos and Ogun States

BY: Mustapha Lawal 

Claim:
A series of viral WhatsApp voice notes and TikTok videos claim that at least 30 people, including customs officers have died in Lagos and Ogun States after consuming ‘cursed rice’ allegedly stolen from a marketer who reportedly consulted a deity in Ghana to place a death curse on the product.

Verdict:
False! There is no evidence to support the claim that anyone has died from eating rice in the Seme-Badagry-Owode-Idiroko axis. Nigeria Customs have dismissed the reports as baseless.

Full Text:
Since early May 2025, several audio messages have circulated on WhatsApp and social media, alleging that stolen bags of rice, reportedly cursed by a marketer, are killing residents in Lagos and Ogun States.

The viral narrative claims that after a woman’s trailers of rice were allegedly stolen and diverted to markets in Owode and Idiroko (Ogun State) and Seme (Lagos State), she consulted a deity in Ghana. The woman reportedly swore that anyone who consumed the stolen rice would die. The voice notes alleged that over 30 people, including 10 Nigerian Customs officers, had died in connection to the cursed rice.

Adding fuel to the rumour, a TikTok user further claimed that five people had died in Owode after eating the rice. The post gained traction with thousands of engagements and sparked public concern. Commenters on the TikTok video also exaggerated the situation, making unverified statements such as “21 children died around my area,” “400 people die in my area yesterday night because they chop rice,” and “My mum told me nobody dey buy rice for Badagry again.”

In one version of the story, a voice note claimed that a customs officer named ‘Sunday Salaam’ confirmed the deaths, and that rice imports had been suspended.

Verification:
FactCheckAfrica reviewed the claims and found no evidence to support them. According to a statement released by Isah Sulaiman, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for the Seme Area Command, the claims are entirely false and misleading.

“The attention of the NCS, Seme Area Command, has been drawn to a widely circulated unfounded and baseless allegation claiming that the Command seized and distributed bags of rice without the knowledge of the purported owner, who then allegedly invoked traditional powers leading to the death of individuals, including a soldier at Badagry,” Sulaiman stated.

“The Command wishes to categorically state that this narrative is entirely false, misleading, and does not reflect the reality of the matter. It is instructive to say that no incident within the Command’s Area of Responsibility (AoR) or among personnel corroborates the false claims of deaths resulting from rice consumption linked to the NCS.”

Additionally, there are no credible news reports, obituaries, or public health alerts from Lagos or Ogun States to suggest any unusual number of deaths linked to rice consumption. No medical authority, public health agency, or security service has issued any alert.

Further investigation revealed that the person named in one of the audio clips, ‘Sunday Salaam,’ as the Ogun customs commandant is not affiliated with the current Nigeria Customs leadership in Ogun or elsewhere.

Also, FIJ’s independent report and journalists in the affected areas confirmed that no such deaths had occurred, and there was no public health emergency in Badagry or Owode.

Despite smuggling being a known challenge in the Seme-Badagry axis, as thoroughly exposed by ‘Fisayo Soyombo, FIJ’s editor-in-chief, there was no online activity or local reporting to support the voice note claims.

There is no available evidence to show that anyone has died from eating cursed or poisoned rice in Lagos or Ogun. The voice notes circulating on WhatsApp are false.

Conclusion:
There is no verifiable evidence that anyone has died from eating ‘cursed rice’ in Lagos or Ogun States. The viral WhatsApp voice notes and TikTok videos are part of a misinformation campaign likely intended to incite panic. Claims of a mass poisoning linked to a spiritual curse on stolen rice are not supported by any credible source.