Factcheck: This Video Shows Old Protest In Kano, Unconnected To Demolition Exercise

A video showing a placard-carrying crowd has been claimed to show a protest in Kano, Northwest Nigeria, against the state government over recent demolition exercises.

“Kano on fire,” a Twitter user with username @AbbaM_Abiyos posted on Tuesday, attaching the video. “Hundred thousands of youths protesting against the Kano government unlawful demolitions of houses and buildings [sic].” 

The 30-second video has captured considerable interest, amassing over a thousand reactions, including over 400 retweets, 718 likes, and over 84,000 views in one of the uploads as at the time of drafting this fact-check.

In the video, a group of individuals can be seen brandishing placards with written messages. However, the legibility of the text on the placards is hindered by the poor quality of the footage. 

The video shows individuals expressing their dissent and gesturing with their placards. The crowd’s general demeanour appears to indicate a feeling of dissatisfaction, although the precise reason for their behaviour cannot be determined solely from the footage.

The tweet has seen a range of reactions from users in response to the video uploaded. Some appear to be in favour of the purported protest, while others are hesitant and demand additional evidence to confirm the claim. 

Verification

HumAngle analysed the video using various techniques, including keyframe analysis, reverse image search, audio analysis, and comparative examination of surrounding landmarks. 

We determined that the video is old and does not actually depict a recent protest against the Kano government’s ongoing demolition of houses and buildings in schools, mosques and other public places. 

The video was recorded on March 22, 2023, during a protest in which members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) responded to the outcome of the gubernatorial election in Kano and the subsequent declaration of NNPP’s Abba Kabir Yusuf as the new governor.

Closer attention to the audio revealed that the background voices were chanting slogans in the Hausa language, including “Sai mun canja” (it will be changed) and “Sai Gawuna/Garo” (we support Gawuna/Garo). Nasir Yusuf Gawuna was the APC’s governorship candidate during the 2023 elections, while Murtala Sule Garo was his running mate.

The surrounding buildings in the video indicate that the protesters were marching along the Kano Hajj Camp road linking to the electoral commission’s office, which has been documented in other videos depicting similar protests. 

‘No protest in Kano’

Confirming HumAngle’s findings, Muhammad Sani of Kano Municipal says there has been no record of protests in his area since the new governor assumed office. 

“There have been no recent protests recorded,” Sani said. “While there are individuals who are in favour of the government’s actions and others who are against it, there was no visible demonstration of support or opposition yet.”

Instead of a protest, we found several videos showing some Kano residents standing by their houses marked for demolition as the officials carried out their duties. 

The state government has reaffirmed its commitment to tear down properties it considers illegal, especially those erected in public places, a move that has attracted mixed reactions from the public.