A video circulating online claims that the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has absolved the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of responsibility for the unrest and insecurity in the South-East.

The nearly two-minute clip, which has gained traction particularly on X and Facebook, features a split-screen format.

The top half appears to show an interview between Governor Uzodinma and Channels TV’s Seun Okinbaloye on Politics Today, while the bottom half depicts several men being interrogated and while alighting from a truck.

During the interview, Governor Uzodinma stated that the individuals responsible for the unrest in Imo State are hired from other states and falsely labeled as IPOB members. He emphasized that IPOB is not behind the insecurity in the South-East region.

The transcribed audio reads as follows:

…They hire hoodlums from outside Imo state, they bring them in pretending to be IPOB, they commit these crimes and run away so it is not about IPOB yes we agree we have aggrieved IPOB members but I can tell you, those who are doing these destruction most of them were brought from outside Imo state… As I speak to you, honest political leaders and religious leaders have approached me to encourage military to come around because these people have created fear int the citizens by their dastardly acts so it is not about the military, if anything, our people want the military around so they can have sense of security and go about their business without fear of any molestation…

The footage was posted on X @biafra_daily had a caption alongside that read:

CLAIM

Recent video shows Hope Uzodinma absolving IPOB from insecurity in the South-East.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub shows that the claim is MISLEADING!

A Google Reverse Image Search conducted on keyframes from the viral video returned result of an actual interview between Seun Okinbaloye and Governor Hope Uzodinma on Politics Today, as published on YouTube by Channels TV on April 7 2021.

In the actual footage, which runs for nearly an hour, the interview featuring Governor Hope Uzodinma begins at 32:48 and addresses several key issues, including fresh attacks on a correctional facility in Imo State. These attacks were initially attributed by the police to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its security wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

Governor Uzodinma, however, refuted these claims, stating that aggrieved politicians were behind the attacks. He explained that these politically motivated assaults were intended to destabilise the state and undermine his administration. The police had initially accused IPOB and the ESN of being responsible for the attacks, which targeted both the correctional centre and a police command.

This version of events was corroborated by multiple media outlets, including Vanguard and Sahara Reporters, which reported that Governor Uzodinma claimed the attacks were orchestrated by political rivals aiming to weaken his support base within the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In the interview, Governor Hope Uzodinma specifically absolved the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) from responsibility for the attack on the correctional facility. He did not, however, comment on their responsibility on the broader issue of insecurity in the state.

Further findings reveals that, contrary to the claim that the circulating video was a recent breaking news development, the interview took place in 2021. A final point of contrast lies in the chyron design used in the videos.

The chyron design – electronically generated caption superimposed on the screen – used in the short clips circulating from the interview is brown and deep blue, however the recent chyron design of Politics Today is blue and white

THE VERDICT

Fatimah QUADRI

Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org