Nigeria: Video of Protests in Nigeria From February, Not May 2024 As Claimed Online

Video of protests in Nigeria from February, not May 2024 as claimed online

IN SHORT: According to some social media posts, a major "Tinubu must go protest" has started in southwestern Nigeria in May 2024. But the video used to support this claim is from a few months before that.

Several Facebook posts claim that the south-west region of Nigeria has been rocked by a major "Tinubu must go" protest.

Part of one post, dated 21 May 2024, reads: "BREAKING ! *A MAJOR PROTEST ON TINUBU MUST GO HAS STARTED IN THE SOUTH WEST REGION*! ... The time is now to end this criminality structure which is Bad leadership, Nigeria deserves better than the APC & Chief Tinubu-- The is time is now!"

Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was sworn in as Nigeria's president in May 2023. The country is facing its worst economic crisis in decades. The price of rice, a staple food, has more than doubled in the last year, while the cost of a litre of petrol has more than tripled in nine months. The rise in the cost of living led to protests in some states in February and March 2024.

Other posts about the alleged "Tinubu must go" protest can be found here, here and here. (Note: See more instances of the claim at the end of the report.)

The posts imply that the protest took place in May. But did it? We checked.

Video from another protest

We took a screenshot of the video where the "END NIGERIAN Hardship" banners can be seen. A Google reverse image search of the screenshot led us to a longer version of the video.

The longer video was posted on YouTube on 19 February by the Channels Television news agency. Premium Times also reported on the protest in Ibadan, Oyo state, on the same day.

We found no media reports of the "Tinubu muse go" protest in May.

The claim was also posted here, here, here and here on Facebook.

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