Claim: China seizes over 7,200 male organs worth $1.5 billion on a cargo ship from Nigeria
Source: World News Daily Report
Verdict: SATIRE
Researched by Gifty Tracy Aminu
How true is a front-page story by the Daily Dispatch newspaper claiming Chinese officials have seized “over 7,200 male organs worth $1.5 billion” on a cargo ship from Nigeria?
The Accra-based newspaper carried the story on April 13, 2021, before it was subsequently reviewed during a news magazine programme on one of Ghana‘s leading TV stations, UTV.
A YouTube channel, 2muchGH has also republished the same claim, with its video publication garnering more than 90,000 views.
Fact–Check
The news article was originally published by a satirical fake news website, World News Daily Report and came with a notice at the bottom of the online report that partly said: “World News Daily Report assumes all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content.”
Here is a disclaimer also published on the website.
However, the republication of the satirical online report on mainstream media platforms in Ghana did not come with any disclaimer telling readers and viewers that the story was fictional.
Other credible International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) verified fact-checkers including AFP Fact Check and Reuters Fact Check have flagged the same claim(here and here) that is being widely shared in other African countries without any disclaimer.
Verdict
The claim that China has seized over 7,200 male organs worth $1.5 billion on a cargo ship from Nigeria is FALSE and was originally published by a satirical fake news website, World News Daily Report.
