Nigerian media announces mass protests in London with fake photos
Some Nigerian media (not NAIJ.com) have been reporting a purported protest by Nigerians in the UK and have been circulating photos of the said protest on social media.
According to the reports, the photos showed Nigerians protesting in front of the Nigerian High Commission in London on Monday, February 6 “demanding President Muhammadu Buhari to address them for five minutes to refute rumour of his death and convince them he was alive.
The continued absence of the Nigerian president has caused widespread protests in Lagos and Abuja. Protesters who took to the streets in the early hours have cited the severe economic situation that has affected the price of goods in the market and the continued fall of the naira against the dollar as reasons.
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The protests in Nigeria, according to the unsubstantiated reports, had spurned similar protests in London. But checks have revealed that photos from the London protests were fake.
Photos of Nigerians protesting at the High Commission in London are fake
While it has not been confirmed if such protest took place, investigation by NAIJ.com can authoritatively reveal that the photos being circulated to give legitimacy to the protests are fake as they have no relation to the protest.
The pictures are as old as October, 2015 and have become photos associated with Nigerians in the UK or Nigerians protesting at the High Commission in London.
For example, the same photos were widely circulated in 2015 alongside stories of Nigeria expressing worry over a new immigration policy in the UK that could affect Nigerians and lead to deportation.
Nigerian media announces mass protests in London with fake photos
The same pictures were also used in the National Migration Policy report that showed how much Nigerians in Diaspora remit to the country annually.
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While the two photos are real, they are neither connected to the present situation nor to Buhari’s health.
NAIJ.com is not only available to bring you REAL news but to also help verify the authenticity of information you get.
It is also important to realise that not all reports and photos being shared online are authentic.