IN SHORT: Online claims about the death of Nigerian actor Tony Umez are false. The artist is alive and well.
Nollywood actor Tony Umez is dead, claims a video published on Facebook in Nigeria on 4 September 2023.
Umez is a Nigerian actor, producer and director. His movies include Paige (2016), Upside Down 2 (2006) and Power of Money 2 (2003).
The video shows several photos of Umez.
“R.I.P TONY UMEZ..may God accept,” reads the text in the video.
The claim also appeared on Facebook here, here and here.
Africa Check has debunked several false claims about the deaths of Nigerian celebrities. Rumours like these could lead to fear and panic.
‘I am very much alive and well’
On 5 September, Umez shared a video of himself where he debunked claims about his death.
The text accompanying the video reads, in part: “I want to assure you that I am very much alive and well. These false reports are nothing but baseless rumors spread by individuals with ill intentions. I will be taking legal action against these persons, as their actions not only infringe upon my rights but also cause unnecessary distress to my loved ones and fans.”
Republish our content for free
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.
Add new comment