IN SHORT: A message circulating on Facebook claims that Nigeria's Department of State Services has arrested former presidential candidate Peter Obi in Abuja. The claim is false.
Multiple Facebook posts claim that officials from Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested politician Peter Obi in the capital, Abuja.
One such post reads:
Happening Now: Peter Obi has been arrested by the DSS at his home in Abuja early this morning and whisked away to an unknown detention facility, reportedly under orders from Tinubu's government.According to eyewitnesses, DSS agents stormed his residence unannounced, forcefully breaking through a window after his security team refused to open the front door.The dramatic scene unfolded as neighbors described hearing loud commotion and the shattering of glass, followed by armed operatives escorting Obi into a waiting vehicle.As of now, the whereabouts of Peter Obi remain undisclosed, heightening the drama and concern over this unexpected turn of events in Nigerian politics.
The post includes two photos: one of Obi and another showing a group of men outside a house.
The claim can also be found here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of the report.)
Obi previously served as governor of Nigeria's Anambra state. He ran for president of the country in the 2023 elections and came third.
Obi was in the news in early January 2025 after delivering a new year's address in which he assessed the state of the nation and the performance of president Bola Tinubu's administration. The speech has sparked controversy and drawn criticism from the ruling All Progressives Congress.
But did the DSS arrest Obi? We checked.
Old and unrelated photos
Some posts include up to seven photos, including of the same group of men and damage to a house. Reverse image search results show that most of the photos were taken when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission invaded the Abuja residence of Rochas Okorocha, the former governor of Imo State, in May 2022.
One of the photos shows a door broken down when the DSS raided the homes of two supreme court justices in October 2016.
Obi debunks the claim
Obi debunked the claim and decried what he referred to as "recurring fake news" about him.
"I have been made aware of a circulating fake News about my alleged arrest. Let me state unequivocally that these claims are entirely false. I am currently at my home in Onitsha. Anambra State. Such fake News on my person has become a pastime for some people. Recall last year September, when I was in Rwanda, similar lies had gone out that DSS invaded my house; now, while I was in my home in Onitsha, Anambra State, they said I was arrested in Abuja.
"The motive of these peddlers cannot be positive but let us not allow baseless rumors to distract us from the critical challenges we face as a nation. I thank the public for the concern, support, and dedication to the cause of a better Nigeria that is possible," Obi wrote on X on 8 January 2025.
The DSS has not arrested Obi. Spreading such false claims could cause public consternation as Obi has many supporters across Nigeria.
The false claim was also posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.