| schema:text
| - A video showing people uncovering bags of money stacked in a container has surfaced online, with varying claims that it depicts money hidden by politicians in Wadata plaza, Abuja.
Some social media users also posted the same video suggesting that the incident occurred in Delta State.
A Facebook account, All Civil Servants in Nigeria posted the video with a caption thus:
“Breaking News:- EFCC Discovered money hidden in a container in DELTA STATE.”
The post has garnered reactions on the social media platform.
READ: No, EFCC did not raid Bello El-Rufai’s residence
Another Facebook account, Gist News, posted the same video with another caption that read:
“Breaking News:- EFCC Discovered money hidden in a container in Wadata, Abuja.”
Similarly, the claim also appeared on X.
An X user, Sebastine Ogbonnaya, also posted the video with a similar caption thus:
“Breaking News:- EFCC Discovered money hidden in a container in Wadata, Abuja.
This is the reason why our politicians will never make heaven, just look at our money. The election of bad leaders has consequences.”
The video has garnered traction on the X platform too.
CLAIM
Video shows looted bags of money recovered in Abuja and Delta.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
Videos of alleged cash discoveries often go viral on social media, fueling speculation about corruption and hidden wealth. These videos often resurface with false claims linking them to different locations or recent events, thus misleading the public. The spread of such misinformation is often amplified by social media influencers and accounts seeking engagement, without verifying the actual context.
This has led to instances where discarded naira notes are falsely presented as hidden stashes of illicit cash. Similar claims have emerged during major economic or political events, sparking public outrage and distrust in authorities and the political class.
Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the video is not recent and neither depict an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operation in Abuja nor in Delta State. A reverse image search and media reports traced the footage back to December 2022, when a similar claim went viral.
According to media reports by Punch and The Street Journal published on December 14, 2022, the EFCC Makurdi office and the Benue State Police Command debunked the claim, clarifying that the sacks contained condemned naira notes from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and not hidden wealth.
An EFCC official confirmed that after obtaining a search warrant and investigating the scene, they found wasted naira notes cut into pieces and squeezed, making them unfit for use.
ALSO READ: Photo does not show $800 million cash discovered at Ikpeazu’s home
The Benue State Police Command also confirmed in a statement that the recovered items were discarded paper materials legally obtained from the CBN for waste management. The shop owner, Isah Suleiman, even presented a license from the CBN authorizing him to collect and process the wasted notes into mosquito repellents.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the video shows bags of money recently recovered in Abuja and Delta State is MISLEADING. The video depicts an old incident from December 2022 in Makurdi, Benue State, where the monies were discarded naira notes legally obtained from the CBN as waste.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)