Claim: Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in hospital bed 

Source: GhanaFact WhatsApp chatbot

Verdict: Manipulated

Researched by Gifty Danso

The GhanaFact WhatsApp Chatbot received an image allegedly showing Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a hospital bed. 

The image shows a frail looking Tinubu laying on a hospital bed, and being attended to by a physician. The user submitted the image asking: “ Is this true?” 

Fig 1- Image of President Tinubu submitted through our Chatbot

GhanaFact found that the claim has also been circulating on other social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube and X. 

This fact-check will verify the authenticity of the photo.

Fact-check

Using Google reverse image search, we found that the original image had been in circulation since 2018, about seven years even before Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office as President in May 2023.

However, the image from seven years ago was not of Bola Tinubu, but of a veteran Nigerian photojournalist Sunmi Smart Cole whose image was shared on April 7, 2018, with the following narration. 

“There lies one of Nigeria’s greatest photo-journalists SUNMI SMART-COLE in his hospital bed. He was in bad shape when I saw him at the TINUBU COLLOQUIUM. He collapsed several times and Professor Pat Utomi and I held him but he held on to his camera and kept firing.. Get well pls.”

Fig 2 – Image of Sunmi Smart Cole from 2018 

Forensic Analysis

The image was further analyzed with InVID Verification Tool – a web-based integrated toolset for journalists. We found indications that parts of the image may have been altered.

 Fig 3 – Screenshot from InVid verification of the viral image

InVid Verification Application results

Error Level Analysis is produced by recompressing the image as a JPEG of quality 75 and subtracting the new image from the old. The resulting image of differences is then enhanced and displayed. Areas of interest are those with higher values than other similar parts of the image. 

Evaluation: Various areas within the image have different compression levels and likely indicate a digital modification.

Additionally, GhanaFact found that Nigerian fact-checking organisation, FactCheck Hub debunked the claim in November 2024, as it’s been in circulation for almost a year. 

Verdict

Therefore, the image depicting Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is manipulated.