Claims linking viral images to the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State have been debunked, with presidential aide Bayo Onanuga stating that the photographs were taken in Mali several years ago and are unrelated to the incident.
In a post shared on X on Tuesday, Onanuga cited findings by Africa54Research, which reportedly traced the images to an incident in Mali in June 2020 involving schoolchildren who were allegedly flogged by a teacher.
According to him, the photographs have been recirculated on social media with misleading captions suggesting they depict some of the pupils recently abducted in Oyo State.
Sharing the findings, Onanuga wrote, “Some of the Images being shared as those of the kidnapped schoolkids of Oyo state were of maltreated kids in Mali.”
He further stated, “Pictures taken in Mali in June 2020, when a teacher flogged his young students, have been shared on social media to make people believe they are the pictures of the abducted Oyo students, an analysis by Africa54Research has revealed.”
The presidential spokesman alleged that those responsible for circulating the images may be attempting to spread fear and misinformation at a time when efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the abducted pupils and their teachers.
“The distributors of the images are most probably terrorists’ sympathisers, out to sow fears in our society and paint the government and the security forces black, as the government is making efforts to get the kids and their teachers released,” Onanuga added.
The clarification comes amid heightened public concern over the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, an incident that has generated widespread reactions across the country and renewed calls for stronger security measures.