Unrelated Pictures Used To Falsely Depict Peter Obi's Demolition Of A Mosque

1 year ago

Unrelated Pictures Used To Falsely Depict Peter Obi's Demolition Of A Mosque

A user on Twitter, Qudus Akanbi Eleyi (@Qdpaper2) claims that Peter Obi demolished a mosque in Anambra and pursued Hausa, Fulani and other northerners from the state while he was still governor. A collection of pictures that depict what appears to be a demolished mosque and of several persons in a desolate state was used to accompany the post with the caption:

“Northerners will never forget Peter Obi for demolishing their mosque in Anambra. When he was a governor, Hausa, Fulani and Northerners can forgive Peter Obi for pursuing them out of Anambra, but I’m not sure if they can forgive him for demolishing their mosque. They will never 4give.”

Peter Obi is the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LB) for the 2023 Nigerian presidential election. Since his emergence as the party’s candidate, the former two-term governor of Anambra has garnered so much attention on social media, especially on Twitter, arousing both support and criticism from diverse users.

Anambra is a state in the southeastern part of Nigeria, a region that is largely populated by the Igbo-speaking tribe who are mainly Christians. The Fulani and Hausa tribes are mostly Muslims, and they are largely the dominant population in the northern parts of Nigeria.

A Google reverse image search of the first image, a collage of Peter Obi and the alleged demolished mosque, traced the original image of the mosque to a news report: “Cash shortage hampers rebuilding of mosques destroyed by Israel.”

The report revealed the mosque to be the Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz mosque in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip, that was destroyed during the Israel-Palestine tension that erupted on 4 January 2019
Multiple reports by different media outlets captured the incident and detailed how the bombings flattened the Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz mosque in Beit Hanoun and damaged many surrounding homes.

Boys play in the rubble of Al-Taqwa mosque in Gaza City, July 2009. Originally captured by Wissam Nassar and Maan images.
Boys play in the rubble of Al-Taqwa mosque in Gaza City, July 2009. Originally captured by Wissam Nassar and Maan images.
Apparently, the image has also been falsely used to depict an alleged banning of Islam and the destruction of mosques in Angola.

A Google reverse search of the second image traced it to a report on sanction.org, a social action website. The social action team members captured the original image when they visited the Obidianso Waterside community in Port Harcourt after the Rivers State government demolished it in 2018.

The original source of the image on the Social Action website. The location is in Port Harcourt, not in Anambra state
The original source of the image on the Social Action website. The location is in Port Harcourt, not in Anambra state
The image was not from Anambra State as alleged and has nothing to do with the northerners or the Hausa-Fulani Muslims residing in Anambra State.

The original source of the image, used as the featured picture on the Social Action website to depict the demolition of waterside communities in Port Harcourt
The original source of the image, used as the featured picture on the Social Action website to depict the demolition of waterside communities in Port Harcourt[b]

[i]The third image is traced to a news report by Vanguard when officers of Abuja Police Command arrested 98 scavengers, popularly known as ‘Baban Bola’ over stealing in Abuja. The image is neither taken in Anambra nor does it have anything to do with Hausa-Fulani Muslims living in Anambra State. This is equally false.

The original source of the alleged image as shared on the Vanguard report
The original source of the alleged image as shared on the Vanguard report

The fourth image, a collage of pictures, was traced to the website of the Muslim News Nigeria. The pictures were used to depict an alleged demolition of a mosque in Port Harcourt by Governor Nysom Wike in 2019.

A screenshot of the original source of the image on Muslim News Nigeria
A screenshot of the original source of the image on Muslim News Nigeria
Although Governor Wike has distanced himself from claims that he ordered the demolition of a mosque in Port Harcourt, he has, however, explained that some persons started erecting illegal foundations on the disputed land, even though they had no approval to embark on any construction work.

An extensive investigation by the PREMIUM TIMES also revealed that the Rivers State Government did not demolish any completed building being used as a mosque. However, an uncompleted structure, (the same one depicted in the alleged picture) which was still at the foundation stage, was demolished by the government.

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Unlike Governor Wike’s popular controversy over the demolition of a mosque in Rivers State, there is no single report by any reliable media outlet that suggests Peter Obi’s demolition of a mosque in Anambra State while he was still the governor.

Conclusion
While the claim may be debatable, all the images used are pulled from different contexts to support the bogus narrative. This claim is false.