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• A fatal crash involving boxer Anthony Joshua on the Lagos–Ibadan expressway in December 2025 has renewed focus on Nigeria’s road safety crisis. Two of his associates died, with authorities citing speeding, a tyre burst and dangerous overtaking.
• Official data shows Nigeria recorded 5,421 road deaths in 2024, a rise from 2023 despite fewer crashes. Speeding remains the leading cause, with adult men and commercial vehicles most affected.
• The Lagos–Ibadan expressway is one of the country’s deadliest routes. Experts say that stronger enforcement, safer vehicles and mandatory driver rest for are urgently needed to reduce fatalities.

Who checks the facts? "Behind the Facts" interviews the fact-checkers fighting misinformation.

The misinformation brief

A weekly guide to spotting, understanding and stopping viral misinformation.

Dozens of posts on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X are promoting Gammora as a “cure” for HIV. Some videos, viewed tens of thousands of times, promise a complete cure and even claim that doctors were “fired” after using it on patients.

Why is this claim spreading? Miracle cures, secret treatments and “inside info” tend to grab attention on social media. Scammers also cash in by selling fake versions of Gammora online. Old claims are recycled, and the sensational language makes it go viral — even though the claim has been debunked repeatedly since 2018.

The science (or lack of it). Gammora, made by Code Pharma (formerly Zion Medical), is still in clinical trials. Small early studies show no clear benefit over standard HIV treatment. There is no evidence Gammora cures HIV or can replace standard anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

So what? These posts aren’t harmless hype. They are dangerous and exploitative:

• People living with HIV may stop effective treatment
• Money is wasted on fake or unauthorised products
• Scammers profit from false hope
• Even if Gammora were available, there is no proof it works, and anyone advertising it as a “cure” is spreading misinformation

What should I do instead? Learn to spot the red flags:

• Social media posts promising miracle cures or dramatic results.
• Claims that doctors were punished for using the drug.
• Ads selling Gammora directly to individuals.
• Credible HIV treatments are scientifically tested and closely monitored. No viral post can replace that.

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, despite being widely shared.  

FALSE: Posts claiming a deadly Nipah virus outbreak in Uganda are false. The videos reuse old Ebola footage, AI-edited clips and scenes from other countries. Health authorities say there are no confirmed Nipah cases in Uganda.

FALSE: Facebook posts claim that the US embassy in Somalia issued a warning over president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Las Anod. The embassy denied the claim and said the alert was fake.

FAKE: An alleged press statement circulating on Facebook falsely claims that the United States has recognised Somaliland and pledged billions of dollars in investments. The US embassy has dismissed this as fake.

Kenya 🇰🇪

FALSE: An alert warning Kenyans of a heat wave is circulating on social media. However, Kenya’s meteorological department has dismissed it as fabricated.

FAKE: An image claiming to show the front page of Kenya’s Standard newspaper from 14 January 2026, insulting Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, is not authentic.

FAKE: A screenshot of what appears to be the popular Corridors of Power column claims a vocal governor from western Kenya plans to defect to the government after a presidential visit. But this is not the real column, and the Star has denied publishing it.

Nigeria 🇳🇬

FALSE: Facebook posts claim a ‘US congressman’ said he ‘recognised Biafra more as a country than Nigeria’. While the posts don’t include his name, they feature a photo of Lee Zeldin, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator and former member of congress. But we found no evidence that Zeldin or any member of congress made such a statement.

MISLEADING: A “breaking” news post circulating on Facebook in February 2026 claims that a Catholic priest was burnt alive in Taraba state, Nigeria. But the attack occurred in 2019, not 2026. 

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Johannesburg- or Cape Town-based youth-led organisations: join Africa Check and the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa to counter harmful online content - while protecting free expression.

Apply: africanfactcheckers@gmail.com
Deadline: 17 Feb 2026

Let’s promote accurate information and safer online spaces together.

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Your weekly dose of facts in newsletter form is created by Laura Kapelari (@laurakapelari). It is edited by Lee Mwiti (@LMAfrican) and Cayley Clifford (@cayleyclifford).