FactCheck: No Bomb Blast or Assassination Attempt on Nigeria’s Vice President in Abuja

BY: Mustapha Lawal

Claim:
A Facebook post alleges that a bomb blast targeting Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, occurred in Abuja on 29 April 2025, killing 26 people and injuring several others.

Verdict:
False! No such incident occurred. The claim is fabricated, and the photos used as evidence were taken from an unrelated explosion in Iran.

Full Text

On 29 April 2025, a “breaking news” post began circulating widely on Facebook, alleging a bomb explosion in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, that was reportedly an assassination attempt on Vice President Kashim Shettima. According to the viral post, the blast killed at least 26 people and injured several others.

“According to security sources, the explosion was an apparent assassination attempt targeting Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima… the device detonated moments before his convoy was expected to pass through the area,” the post claimed.

The report was shared repeatedly across social media platforms and was accompanied by graphic images purportedly showing the aftermath of the blast. The post further suggested that authorities had launched an intensive investigation.

Vice President Kashim Shettima served as governor of Borno State from 2011 to 2019, a period marked by devastating Boko Haram attacks, including the infamous 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. In 2019, he became a senator representing Borno Central, before being elected vice president in 2023 alongside President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

On 19 April 2025, the presidency publicly debunked another online rumour suggesting a rift between Tinubu and Shettima, further emphasizing the current political climate of misinformation targeting high-profile leaders. Against this backdrop, the viral bomb blast story appears to be another effort to create confusion, fear, or distrust within the polity.

Verification:

FactCheckAfrica subjected the photos shared in the Facebook post to Google Reverse Image Search. The images were not from Nigeria, but rather from Iran, where a blast occurred at the port of Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest port, on 28 April 2025. According to credible media outlets, the Iranian explosion resulted in 70 deaths and approximately 1,000 injuries. The same photos appeared in international coverage of that event.

A review of reputable Nigerian and international media platforms found no evidence of any bomb blast or assassination attempt in Abuja on 29 April. Historically, bombings in Abuja have received widespread coverage. The complete absence of media reports about a blast allegedly killing 26 people makes this claim highly implausible. 

Neither the Nigerian Presidency, security agencies, nor Vice President Shettima’s office has acknowledged or confirmed such an event. This further debunks the viral claim.

Conclusion

There was no bomb blast in Abuja on 29 April 2025, and no assassination attempt on Vice President Kashim Shettima. The photos used to support the claim were lifted from an unrelated incident in Iran, and no credible news outlet has reported the alleged explosion in Nigeria. This is a deliberate fabrication, and Nigerians are advised to disregard the claim and avoid sharing unverified reports.