A video showing a former commissioner of Police in Zamfara State, Ayuba Elkana, confirming the receipt of a threat letter from suspected bandits, directing Christians to close down churches has resurfaced on social media.
The video is being recirculated alongside claim that the bandits asked the churches across Nigeria to close down.
READ: Old video of customs official admitting giving rice to bandits resurfaces online
The video has been forwarded multiple times on WhatsApp.
“Bandit have sent threat letter asking all churches in Nigeria to close down, that they own Nigeria and they want to takeover their country back. Let’s be careful and security conscious please,” the viral message read.
CLAIM
Bandits order Nigerian churches to close down recently.
THE FINDINGS
Checks show that the claim is MISLEADING.
A keyword search on the internet showed that the video has been online since 2021.
An earlier version of the video which was shot by AIT showed when Elkana briefed the press on November 30, 2021 in Gusau, Zamfara State confirming receiving a threat letter sent by suspected bandits instructing churches in Zamfara to close down for three years or risk being attacked.
The bandits had written to the Christian community in Zamfara informing them of their intention to attack churches in the state.
The police commissioner confirmed that the letter was dropped at the entrance gate of the state’s police command by unidentified person.
He clarified that the threat letter listed some churches in the outskirts of the state’s capital that would be attacked during church activities before the end of 2021.
He assured the residents that the police were going to deploy adequate security to all churches and mosques during prayer sessions and services.
THE VERDICT
The claim that bandits recently sent letters to Nigerian churches instructing them to shutdown is MISLEADING; the video has been online since 2021.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
