Sunday Awóṣòro

Journalist covering mis- and disinformation @DubawaFacts • Trybe: @CJIDAfrica

[Sunday Awóṣòro @SundayAwosoro]

@ajalasamuelakin Big congratulations, ẹ̀gbọ́n! 🎉🎈🍾🎊

[EU in Nigeria 🇪🇺🇳🇬 @EUinNigeria]

Together w/ our partners @CJIDAfrica, @WANEPNigeria & @AREWA24Channel we officially launched the joint program on "Countering Disinformation & Empowering Democracy in Northwestern Nigeria," an important step toward promoting resilience & informed public discourse. #SocialCohesion

[The ICIR @TheICIR]

ICYMI: "Over 27,000 people were killed and more than two million others were displaced since Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009".

“terror pillages” accounted for a significant percentage of the recorded casualties, adding that extrajudicial killings, including civilian deaths from military operations and airstrikes, remained a major concern.
Read more: https://t.co/2s26UdmKz8

[DUBAWA FR @DubawaFR]

#Nigeria

Le 6 mai 2026, le gouvernement fédéral, par l’intermédiaire du ministre de l’Éducation et du Conseil exécutif fédéral (CEF), a finalisé une interdiction officielle pour les titulaires de diplômes honorifiques de faire précéder leur nom du titre de « Dr ».

À lire ici :https://t.co/c9zZOEWuHj

[Dubawa @DubawaFacts]

🇳🇬 Wanna know how a DUBAWA investigation changed Nigerian law?
In 2025, we exposed how public figures used honorary degrees to mislead the public. Fast forward to May 2026, and the Federal Government has officially stepped in. So what has changed?

[Dubawa @DubawaFacts]

We are thrilled to announce the 13 exceptional journalists selected for the 2026 Kwame Karikari Fact-Checking and OSINT Fellowship! 🎊

Chosen for their exceptional writing, investigative grit, and commitment to truth, this year’s cohort is ready to tackle misinformation across the sub-region.

Congratulations to our new fellows!

🇳🇬 🇬🇭 🇸🇱 🇬🇲 🇱🇷

[Press Attack Tracker Africa @PressAttackAfr]

PAT Expansion📢

Since 2017, CJID #PressAttackTracker (PAT) has documented attacks against journalists in Nigeria, with records dating back to 1986. It now includes data on attacks against journalists in additional West African countries.

Access it here: https://t.co/0WOmOUPcSi

[Akíntúndé Babátúndé @olorunwababs]

I have tried to stay out of this INEC issue but this INEC's statement asserting that the @joashamupitan account was never operated by Prof. Joash Amupitan and that the screenshots are fabricated, deserves a careful reading.

First, to be fair: impersonation of Nigerian public officials is real and common, and the pattern of fake social media accounts described is consistent with tactics we have seen before but the forensic argument does not carry the weight INEC places on it. At the confidence level the statement claims ( "beyond reasonable doubt," "physically impossible," "definitive proof") the reasoning should be airtight. It is not. Here are a few red flags 🚩 🚩.

1. The "impossible timestamp" claim overreaches. A 13-minute gap between an alleged reply and the original post has multiple ordinary explanations: device clock errors, timezone mismatches, edited posts, or basic image editing software. A credible forensic report rules these out one by one. This statement does not mention them. Citing AI and deepfakes without any pixel, metadata, or compression analysis is not forensics.

2. The Wayback Machine argument is methodologically wrong. Zero captures of @joashamupitan does not prove the account never existed. The Internet Archive does not systematically crawl personal X profiles. Absence of captures is the norm for most genuine accounts. Any practising OSINT researcher knows this.

3. The email/phone linkage tests cannot produce the conclusion drawn. Failed password recovery attempts on X prove only that X's anti-enumeration defences work as designed. Users can change or remove recovery contacts at any time. A negative result today says nothing about past ownership.

4. The OPay/BVN finding is deflected rather than explained. The statement admits the phone number 0803***4099 returns "Joash Ojo Amupitan" on BVN query, then pivots to saying a BVN record cannot establish social media ownership. That may be technically true, but it is not an answer. If the Chairman's verified phone number surfaces in connection with this account, what is the alternative explanation? None is offered.

5. The @sundayvibe00 handover is extraordinary and undocumented. A cybersecurity researcher acquiring the exact disputed handle on the exact day screenshots went viral, then issuing a disclaimer INEC now cites as evidence, requires documentation. Who is Coy Emerald? How was the handle reclaimed? When was the disclaimer posted? None of this is answered.

6. The "Parody" label is read in only one direction. Self-labelling as parody is at least as consistent with a real account holder retroactively shielding themselves after an embarrassing post went viral. Impersonators rarely volunteer a parody label because it weakens their deception.

7. The data breach evidence is dismissed selectively. The statement acknowledges breach datasets show Prof. Amupitan's identity connected to a Twitter account alongside Apple, LinkedIn, and Office 365, then argues this does not prove ownership of this specific handle. Fine. But it never asks the more obvious question: if he had some Twitter account per these records, which one was it?

8. The AI-fabrication framing is doing too much work. Experts call this the liar's dividend: as fabrication becomes easier, dismissing authentic content as fabricated also becomes easier. The statement invokes generative AI without showing a single AI artifact in the screenshots (no pixel anomaly, no compression inconsistency, no metadata finding). The burden of proof belongs to whoever makes the claim.

None of this settles whether the account was or was not Prof. Amupitan's. What settle is that this statement has not proven what it claims to have proven.

The forensic standard INEC applies to its own communications will set the tone for every disputed claim in the 2027 cycle. If the bar is this low now, it will be lower when the pressure is higher. Publish the report. Name the expert. Show the work.

[Dubawa @DubawaFacts]

"I will never have another child again. Childbirth damaged me permanently." For Faith, the joy of motherhood was eclipsed by the "husband stitch," an unapproved medical procedure done to make her "tighter" for her husband. Two years later, the physical and emotional pain hasn't stopped. We investigate the controversial practice putting Nigerian women’s safety second to male pleasure. Read the full investigation:
https://t.co/MUs5LUjDz8

[Udeme.africa @UDEMEAfrica]

We spoke to citizens about the worsening power crisis in Nigeria.

Here's what they had to say ⬇️

#PowerCrisis #Nigeria #UDEME

[DUBAWA FR @DubawaFR]

#Benin
Lancement de la salle de situation électorale à l’occasion des élections présidentielles du 12 Avril 2026 au Bénin.
Avec l’appui des fact-checkers de @DubawaFR de @CJIDAfrica, cette initiative contribue à lutter contre la désinformation en période électorale.
#vote221 #Presidentielle2026

[Dubawa @DubawaFacts]

Wrapping up our team highlights for International Fact-Checking Day! Here is our final batch of quotes. We’re proud of the work we do to keep the facts front and center. Thank you for being part of a community that values the truth!
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#InternationalFactCheckingDay #InternationalFactCheckingDay2026 #FactCheckingDay #MIL #MediandInformationLiteracy #MediaLiteracy #Dubawa #Dubawafacts #Dubawachecks

[Udeme.africa @UDEMEAfrica]

One death every 7 minutes.

Nigeria is facing a severe maternal health crisis, accounting for 29% of all global maternal deaths.

Here's what's driving it and what must change.📌

#MaternalMortality #Nigeria #UDEME

[Dubawa @DubawaFacts]

Six months after DUBAWA highlighted the misuse of honorary “Dr.” titles, Nigeria’s National Universities Commission (NUC) has issued official guidelines restricting the use of the prefix to earned doctorates and medical professionals.
https://t.co/rRz7eZUQx3

[Kemi Busari @kemi_busari]

Publication Alert!
Imagine this: A satirical article was amplified by a Nigerian politician, picked up as real news by blogs & eventually discussed as a real occurrence by @HouseNGR.My latest research, published in the Journal of Media Ethics, traces this journey and asks:

1/4

[Kemi Busari @kemi_busari]

As of this morning, February 18, 2026, @realFFK 's almost five-year-old tweet, which he used to mislead the Nigerian media & the @HouseNGR is still up, undeleted and unchecked by @X despite fact-checkers, like @DubawaFacts , confirming its falsity.

[Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development @CJIDAfrica]

Violent incidents against civilians are becoming increasingly prevalent across Nigeria. From recent cases in Kwara state to long-standing incidences in Benue, arson, banditry, terrorism and the likes are threatening the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians and the security of their communities.

Here’s a snapshot of reported violence incidents and civilian casualties in Nigeria in the first and second week of February, as tracked by CJID's National Conflict Tracker.

Every week, we will highlight the scale, spread and patterns of conflict across affected states in the country.

Stay informed. 📌

#Violence #ConflictTracker #Nigeria

[Udeme.africa @UDEMEAfrica]

This is an open call to the Igbajo community and legal stakeholders in the state to continue to speak out and hold our leaders accountable. There is no justification for a court to deteriorate to that level while substantial public funds are being allocated to travel expenses

[Kemi Busari @kemi_busari]

In this piece, I reflect on my journey and work with Taylor Dibbert of the @ICFJ following our recent conversation.

Key takeaway for me is my comment on journalism's purpose in society as I clearly stated:

[WHO Nigeria @WHONigeria]

The @Fmohnigeria in collaboration with @WHO, @NCDCgov, @NphcdaNG, Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), and partners, is supporting a national assessment of Nigeria’s Infodemic Management (IM) System; to strengthen coordination, improve early detection of misinformation, and build a healthier information ecosystem.