FOLLOWING the reported bandits’ attack on a train carrying over 900 passengers from Abuja to Kaduna on Monday, March 28, 2022, a viral image of train wreckage has been shared multiple times online with a claim that it depicts the incident.
The viral image shows train wreckage caused by an explosion with smoke billowing from it.
A Twitter user with the handle @four_unit tweeted the image with a caption thus:
“JUST IN; 28/3/22 Today Monday news reaching us that Fulani terrorists popularly known as “Bandits” Bombed Kaduna-Abuja Train With Over 1,000 Passengers Aboard. Me :Free MNK, End Nigeria. End Fulani terrorists acts.”
Another Twitter user with the handle @EkoVanguardTV also shared the same photo with the caption below:
“Breaking News: Over 1,000 passengers feared dead as bandits bomb train referring passengers. Eye witness reports from Villagers along Abuja-Kaduna road called to confirm hearing multiple gunshots and attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train by terrorists.”
THE CLAIM
The photo shows the Abuja – Kaduna train attacked by bandits.
THE FINDINGS
A Google Reverse Image search by The FactCheckHub shows that the image has nothing to do with the Nigerian train bombed by bandits in Kaduna.
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the image was from Iran’s trains crash which happened in Semnan province and killed dozens on the 25th of November 2016, according to a BBC News report.
The image was also used in a similar news report published by the AFP news agency in November 2016.
Another media report which published the image in 2016 also confirmed that the train collision in Iran killed at least 44 people and injured several others.
THE VERDICT
The image of the train wreckage does not depict the Kaduna incident where a train was bombed by bandits in Nigeria; thus making the claim FALSE.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.