Nigerians Beware, Photo of Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello Altered

2 May 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Semilore Adelola

Nigerians beware, photo of former Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello altered

IN SHORT: Several users have posted an image on Facebook, claiming it shows Kogi governor Yahaya Bello climbing over a steel gate to avoid arrest by Nigeria's financial crimes commission. But the version circulating on social media has been doctored, with the former governor's head superimposed on the original photo.

"See Yahaya Bello jumping through the fence to escape arrest by the EFCC," reads a post on Facebook.

As evidence, the post includes an image of a barefoot man who appears to be climbing over a steel gate.

Yahaya Bello is the former governor of Kogi state in central Nigeria.

In March 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed money laundering charges against him. The commission is responsible for combating economic and financial crimes in the country.

The same claim can be found on Facebook here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

But did Bello climb over a gate to escape EFCC officials? We checked.

Altered photo

A reverse image search revealed that the circulating photo has been altered. The man in the original photo is not Bello but Usman Cheche.

Cheche was a representative of the Bida-Gbako-Katcha federal constituency of Niger state in the Nigerian house of representatives from 2011 to 2015.

In November 2014, some members of the house, including Cheche, climbed the gate of the national assembly complex after police denied them entry.

Bello's face has been superimposed on the original photo of Cheche.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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