An image circulating on Facebook seems to show Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, lying in a hospital bed.
Many of the posts featuring the image are written in Hausa, a language commonly spoken in northern Nigeria.
One post, dated October 11, 2024, includes a machine translation that reads: “To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. Strong sources say he moves but little. Tulumbu, what happened to him?”
Read Also: Fact Check On Claim That Two Justices Who Upheld Tinubu’s Election As Nigeria’s President Were Found Dead In Their Homes On Same Day
The first part of the post is a widely known Islamic prayer, typically recited during times of loss or difficulty.
At 71, Tinubu became president, and his occasional trips abroad for medical treatment have fueled rumors questioning his ability to hold the country’s highest office due to his age.
The same claim can be found here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)
But does the image show Tinubu in hospital? We checked.
Doctored photo
Upon closer inspection, the image shows signs of manipulation.
Tinubu’s face appears disconnected from the rest of his body, and the photo quality is subpar for one purportedly taken in 2024.
A Google reverse image search traced the same photo to a different individual.
The original image features photojournalist Sunmi Smart-Cole, taken in 2018 while he was hospitalized in Lagos.
Smart-Cole had been receiving treatment for injuries sustained during a visit by then-President Muhammadu Buhari to Lagos on March 29 of that year.
A side-by-side comparison of the original image and the manipulated one reveals that the only difference is the face.
Tinubu’s face has been digitally placed over Smart-Cole’s in the original photograph.
The same photo and claim can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Credit: Africa Check
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