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Crowd mourning Nigerian president’s top aide? No, photo of sultan’s funeral in 2016

Abba Kyari, chief of staff to Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari, died from Covid-19, the coronavirus disease, on 17 April 2020.

Days later an image showing a huge crowd was shared on Facebook. Its text reads: “ABBA Kyari’s official residence today. Indeed, we are fighting COVID-19 pandemic!!!” It was posted with the comment, “Even in death he is still controlling Nigeria.”

The Nigerian government was criticised for allowing people to gather at Kyari’s funeral against the social distancing rule put in place to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. Federal government secretary Boss Mustapha apologised for the lapse.

But does the photo show mourners at Kyari’s residence?



Photo taken in Sokoto in 2016


A Google reverse image reveals that the photo was taken in 2016 at the funeral of Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki in Sokoto, a city in northwest Nigeria. 

Dasuki reigned as the 18th Sultan of Sokoto for eight years before he was dethroned in April 1996. – Allwell Okpi




 

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