Despite the devastation caused by COVID-19, some Nigerians continued to doubt its existence, describing it as a “scam”.

People doubt the ability of public health facilities, which are in a state of decrepitude, to handle an epidemic such as COVID-19.

This belief is further compounded by the actions and statements of some influential people such as the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, leader of the Muslim Izala sect.

Controversial allegations by Governor Bello

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has repeatedly challenged Nigeria’s coronavirus response strategy, a situation that pitted him against federal officials and medical professionals.

The governor had in one case described the fatal disease as a hoax.

Despite overwhelming evidence of an acute coronavirus under-test in Kogi, Mr Bello claimed last December that a massive testing campaign had been undertaken in his state and that no one had been infected.

“After the misunderstanding we had with federal health officials and the NCDC, we then allowed them to step in and test people,” he said in an interview broadcast on Channels TV in December 2020. .

Gov. Yahaya Bello’s claims about COVID-19 ‘mass testing’ in Kogi

Reaffirming his controversial claims that there is no coronavirus infection in the state, Governor Bello, in an interview broadcast on Channels TV on Sunday, December 27, 2020, said: “In Kogi, we say we do not have COVID-19 and in fact we do not have COVID-19.

False statements

The governor’s claims are false, according to the most recent NCDC general fact sheet on states’ COVID-19 response. Kogi, a state of nearly 3.5 million people, had only tested 425 samples as of December 11, 2020, according to the national situation report released on December 12, 2020 by the NCDC.

While states are solely responsible for their management and response to coronaviruses, the NCDC takes charge of and receives infection information from them on a daily basis, which is then published by the agency on its microsite.
@eboh_robert
September 14, 2020
Gov Yahaya Bello is a dynamic leader who has set the tone for leadership. He protected the trust placed in him by the right people in Kogi State when he refused to trade them in for a Covid-19 scam. He maintained that Covid-19 was a scam, #KogiGotNoCovid #KiddwayaOurWinner

Gov Yahaya Bello is a dynamic leader who has set the tone for leadership. He protected the trust placed in him by the right people in Kogi State when he refused to trade them in for a Covid-19 scam. He maintained that Covid-19 was a scam, #KogiGotNoCovid #KiddwayaOurWinner

– Robert Arome Eboh (@eboh_robert) September 14, 2020

@ENIBOY
November 17, 2020

Yahaya Bello thinks COVID-19 is a scam and still refuses to wear a mask. He downplays the importance of the disease in Kogi state despite warnings from medical experts. But when he went to see @MBuhari he decided to wear a mask. Indeed, power passes power.

Yahaya Bello thinks COVID-19 is a scam and still refuses to wear a mask. He downplays the importance of the disease in Kogi state despite warnings from medical experts. But by going to see @MBuhari he decided to wear a mask. Indeed, power passes power. pic.twitter.com/VbBXaYm8gV

– Eniola Akinkuotu (@ENIBOY) November 17, 2020

@Austinokai
June 12, 2020
President Buhari said he has lost friends, staff to COVID-19 and his political son Yahaya Bello and his managers think COVID-19 is a scam and just @NCDCgov business – things have they collapsed?

President Buhari said he has lost friends, staff to COVID-19 and his political son Yahaya Bello and his managers believe COVID-19 is a scam and just a business by @NCDCgov – have things collapsed?

– Comr. Usman Okai Austin (@Austinokai) June 12, 2020

COVID-19 is a Western deception, a conspiracy against Muslims – Sheikh Jingir
Opposition to government efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus snowballed in the north as leader of the Muslim Izala sect, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, described COVID-19 as an international deception and a Western conspiracy against Muslims.

Jingir, in a sermon to a congregation on Izala TV and watched by reporters in Kaduna, reaffirmed that the coronavirus was a lie, insisting it was a plot to prevent Muslims from carrying out their religious rites.
“Is the virus as effective as the fire that could not burn Prophet Ibrahim (AS)?” So the virus is a lie. Whatever people have to say, they should be telling the truth. A teacher said it was a lie.

“We witnessed the cholera epidemic in Kano and saw how massive burials were carried out. We have seen the graves, but where are the graves of the Coronavirus victims?
Additionally, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWGN) has urged politicians and religious leaders to refrain from actions and feelings that may put people at risk of contracting the coronavirus.

The call came against the backdrop of some heads of state and religious leaders who have felt indifferent to the federal government’s directive on measures to protect citizens from the virus that has ravaged the world since December 2019.

How Nigerians commented on Twitter
@ fhinksleem96
May 21, 2020
I watched Cheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir’s video where he clearly reiterated his myopic position that # Covid_19 is a conspiracy against Islam and Muslims. I am afraid because I know the number of people who will gladly follow his instructions on this subject.

I watched Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir’s video where he clearly reiterated his myopic position that # Covid19 is a conspiracy against Islam and Muslims. I am afraid because I know the number of people who will gladly follow his instructions on this subject.

– Salees! (@ fhinksleem96) March 21, 2020

@ MahmudZakariya4
March 27, 2020
Due to the growing number of deaths in the United States, Italy and Spain, it is high time for Sheikh Yahya Jingir, the leader of Izala Jos, to withdraw his unpopular statement that CORONAVIRUS was created to destroy Muslims. These countries are not Muslim countries. So, Covid-19 is real, Sheikh.

Below are some of the video generated comments on Twitter that COVID-19 is a scam

@ ElvisChinedu12 ext:
VIDEO: Prove Corona virus in NIGERIA is a scam.
These are the so-called Corona virus patients in an isolation center.
May 19, 2020

VIDEO: Prove Corona virus in NIGERIA is a scam.

These are the so-called Corona virus patients in an isolation center.#BiafraOutput #BiafraOutput pic.twitter.com/NaOlhuL1if

– Elvis Chinedu (@ ElvisChinedu12) May 19, 2020

The response comments are as follows:
@ Headquarters_0
May 20, 2020
Did you know that an ISOLATION CENTER is like a waiting room? Where are people who are not sick but infected kept out of society? – Did you know that more than 2 million people in the world are not sick but infected? – do you know the difference between an intensive care unit and an isolation center?

Did you know that

– is an ISOLATION CENTER like a waiting room? Where are people who are not sick but infected kept out of society?

– Did you know that more than 2 million people in the world are not sick but infected?

– do you know the difference between an intensive care unit and an isolation center?

– Pear shake 🥀 (@ Siege_0) May 20, 2020

@Humpherychidera
Been home for weeks away from school, if this Nigeria Covid 19 scam history will never forgive this government oh

Been home for weeks away from school, if this nigeria covic 19 scam history will never forgive this government oh.

– Ezekiel Humphery (@Humpherychidera) May 20, 2020

@ Ransomekuti32fm
July 16, 2020
with all their behaviors and actions they give us the impression that the corona virus (COVID-19) is a scam in Nigeria

with all their behaviors and actions they give us the impression that the corona virus (COVID-19) is a scam in Nigeria https://t.co/xysmr5I0LG

– Ransom sport (@ Ransomekuti32fm) July 16, 2020

However, the Nigerian government had adopted several measures to tame the escalation of COVID-19, including: Encouraging social distancing, compulsory wearing of face masks and restricting movement in certain parts of the country.
He also encouraged the self-isolation of Nigerians returning from high-risk countries. A major aspect of Nigeria’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, including places of worship and all forms of social events.
Conclusion:

Along with the claims of Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, describing COVID-19 as an international deception and also the claims of the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, some Nigerians believe that COVID-19 is a scam.

In this report, the OSINT tool was used to generate verified tweeted, liked and also commented comments on Nigerians’ tweet about the pandemic influencing some social media subscribers that COVID-19 is a ‘scam’.

This publication was produced as part of IWPR’s Africa Resilience Network (ARN) program, administered in partnership with the Center for Information Resilience (CIR), the International Center for Investigation Report (ICIR) and Africa Uncensored. For more information on ARN, please visit the ARN website: https://africaresiliencenetwork.com/