By Boluwatife Adedokun
Full Story
A viral video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms claims that a bakery in Ogun State, Nigeria, announced a free bread giveaway, leading to a massive crowd that became uncontrollable.
According to the claim, people climbed onto the bakery’s roof in desperation, ultimately destroying the building.
The claim was made by an X user, Marquis of Infamy, who attributed the incident to what he called the “Ebinpawa pandemic” in Yoruba land, suggesting a widespread issue of food scarcity and desperation in southwestern Nigeria.
The post quickly gained traction with 671 reposts, 290 quotes, and 1773 likes, sparking discussions about hunger and economic hardship in Nigeria.
The video was also shared on Facebook by other users as could be seen here, and here.
The video accompanying the claim shows a large crowd on a building, some individuals climbing onto the roof, which eventually collapses.
However, an investigation into the video’s authenticity reveals that the claim is false and misleading.
Verification
To verify the origin of the video, a Google Lens reverse image search was conducted. A screenshot of the video was used to identify matching images online, which helped trace the video back to its original source or earliest known posting.
The results led to multiple earlier posts of the same video on Instagram and YouTube, all referencing an incident in Bellari, India, during Muharram celebrations on July 18, 2024.
Further checks showed that two separate YouTube videos also identified the location as Bellari.
Furthermore, X has added a note to the post to caution users about the video, including a misleading content warning beneath it, clarifying that the event occurred in India in 2024 and was previously featured on a page focused on Indian events.
These findings confirm that the video has no connection to Nigeria, Ogun State, or any bakery-related incident in the country.
Conclusion
The viral claim that Nigerians in Ogun State destroyed a bakery due to a free bread giveaway is false.
The video was actually recorded in India during the 2024 Muharram celebrations in Bellari and has been deliberately shared by the user to promote a different narrative. The user has also refused to retract the video despite the warning note by X.
This verification has been produced with support from BO Foundation For Inclusive Media (BOFIM) and WITNESS.
