IN SHORT: A claim that an Air Peace plane crashed in the Western Sahara region, killing 50 people, including minister Nyesom Wike’s cousin, continues to circulate on social media. It is false.
On the evening of 26 December 2024, social media users began sharing the claim that 50 people, including Nyesom Wike’s cousin, were killed in an Air Peace plane that crashed in the Western Sahara region.
Air Peace is the leading airline in Nigeria and operates domestic, regional and international flights.
Wike is the minister of the Federal Capital Territory and a former governor of Rivers state.
The post includes photos of a crashed Air Peace plane at what appears to be the site of the accident.
The claim can also be found here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of the report.)
Air Peace has been in the news since March 2024, when it launched its direct flights to London. Its tickets were reportedly cheaper than those of other airlines.
Wike is also often in the news. Every statement or move by the Nigerian politician grabs the headlines.
Western Sahara is a disputed territory annexed by Morocco in 1975. So, did an Air Peace plane go down in the region? And was Wike's cousin among the 50 people killed in the plane crash?
Clickbait
The link in the message leads to the website of a securities dealer called Exness and not “full details” about the incident, as claimed in the post.
Any news item related to Air Peace and Wike would attract the users' attention. The news is simply a clickbait to lure people to the website.
False and malicious, says Air Peace
To verify the claim, Africa Check visited the airline’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle and found a statement debunking the claim.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to multiple social media posts circulating false and malicious information that an Air Peace aircraft has crashed in the Western Sahara region resulting in fatalities, including the purported death of a prominent individual.
“We categorically state that this information is FALSE and MALICIOUS. This is a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation and tarnish the impeccable safety record of Air Peace.”
For more tips on how to spot and debunk false information, read Africa Check’s guides, such as this guide to fighting false information on WhatsApp and this guide to verifying breaking news.
The false claim was also posted here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
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