FACT-CHECK: Viral Photo of Lagos police Tear-gassing Pensioners is AI-generated!
BY: Oluwatoyin Hawal Momolosho
A photograph circulating on social media purportedly showing police officers tear-gassing elderly pensioners during a protest in Lagos has been identified by the Lagos State Police Command as AI-generated.
The image emerged after members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Lagos State Council, protested at the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday, August 31, 2026, over outstanding pension adjustments and wage awards.
Claim:
A viral photograph shows Lagos police officers tear-gassing pensioners during their protest at the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Lagos.
Verdict:
False! The Lagos State Police Command said the photograph is AI-generated and does not represent what happened at the protest venue.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica examined reports on the protest and traced the photograph to a statement published by the Lagos State Police Command on September 1, 2026.
In a post on its official X account, @LagosPoliceNG, the command titled its statement: “NUP PROTEST: NO TEAR GAS FIRED, CIRCULATING IMAGE IS AI-GENERATED.” The police said the photograph circulating online and purportedly showing pensioners being tear-gassed was artificially generated and did not depict events at the protest venue.
The command also denied using tear gas during the protest, saying that about 500 pensioners gathered at the Governor’s Office in Alausa at about 8:30 a.m. on August 31.
According to the police, officers from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force and nearby divisions were deployed to maintain law and order and protect the protesters and members of the public.
The command said the protesters were addressed by the Lagos State Governor’s Chief of Staff, Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, after which NUP executives held a meeting at the Governor’s Conference Hall.
It added that the protesters dispersed at about 4:30 p.m., with no adverse incident recorded.
The PUNCH independently reported the police statement and published the disputed photograph, crediting it to LagosPoliceNG/X. The newspaper reported that the police described the image as AI-generated.
The Sun also reported the police denial, stating that the command maintained that the photograph in circulation was AI-generated and did not represent what happened at the protest venue.
What happened at the protest?
While the photograph has been identified as AI-generated, there are conflicting accounts about whether tear gas was actually used during the protest.
A separate PUNCH report published earlier on September 1, said tear gas had reportedly disrupted the pensioners’ protest and quoted human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) as demanding the arrest and prosecution of officers allegedly involved.
This means that the authenticity of the photograph and the broader allegation of tear-gas use are two separate questions.
The photograph cannot be used as evidence that the pensioners were tear-gassed because the police have identified it as AI-generated. However, the wider allegation requires separate verification because contemporaneous reports and accounts from protesters alleged that tear gas was used, while the police denied the allegation.
What were the pensioners protesting?
The pensioners were protesting over outstanding pension adjustments, consequential increases and wage awards owed to retired public servants in Lagos.
Reports indicate that the retirees had previously demanded the implementation of outstanding pension-related payments and had threatened further action if their demands were not addressed.
The August 31 protest therefore occurred against the backdrop of an existing dispute between the pensioners and the Lagos State Government.
Why is the image misleading?
The photograph appears to provide visual evidence for the claim that police used tear gas against the pensioners.
However, the image was circulated in connection with a genuine protest, which can make fabricated visual material appear credible.
The Lagos Police Command’s official statement specifically identified the photograph as AI-generated. Its position was subsequently reported by several Nigerian news organisations, including The PUNCH and The Sun.
The existence of a real protest does not establish the authenticity of every photograph shared in connection with it.
Conclusion:
The viral photograph purportedly showing Lagos police tear-gassing pensioners during the August 31 protest is AI-generated, according to the Lagos State Police Command, and does not depict the events at the protest venue.
However, claims about whether tear gas was used during the protest remain disputed and should not be conflated with the authenticity of the photograph.
Therefore, the photograph should not be used as evidence that Lagos police tear-gassed the pensioners.
