By: Emmi Kivi
December 14 2023
Image from 2017 anti-corruption raid in Nigeria shared as smuggled goods in aid trucks heading to Gaza
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The image was captured in 2017 in Nigeria during an anti-corruption raid and does not show smuggled goods inside an aid truck heading to Gaza.
Claim ID 3ea31aa9
What is the claim?
Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, aid has been delivered to Gaza since October 20 through the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border. Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended on December 1, the daily number of aid trucks entering Gaza has dropped. The U.N. stated that a recent increase in aid delivery to Gaza is uncertain as the fighting has resumed and the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen.
Against this backdrop, social media users shared an image of a large pile of money with the claim it was captured inside an aid truck heading to Gaza. One such post read, “#Breaking: Recent inspections of aid trucks destined for Gaza uncovered 50 drones, along with 50 launchers for firing munitions from the drones. Additionally, $50 million in cash was found.”
However, Logically Facts found that the image dates back to an anti-corruption raid in Nigeria in 2017, and is unrelated to the Israel-Hamas war.
What did we find?
A reverse image search of the images led to a CNN article titled “Nigeria’s anti-corruption unit finds $43 million cash in Lagos apartment” published on April 14, 2017, with footage matching the viral replication.
According to the CNN article, with the help of an anonymous tipoff, the Nigerian anti-corruption unit discovered over $43 million in U.S. dollars, 23.2 million naira (Nigerian currency worth $75,000), and £27,800 in an upscale apartment in Lagos.
Left: the viral photo. Right: a CNN article on Nigeria's anti-corruption raid with matching visuals, dated April 14, 2017. Source: X/Facebook/CNN (Modified by Logically Facts)
With the added information, we found the original photo the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission posted on its Facebook page on April 12, 2017.
Facebook post by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission posted on April 12, 2017. (Source: Facebook)
The Facebook post affirmed that the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission discovered the money in a residential building, followed by a whistle-blower’s confidential alert to the Commission’s Lagos office earlier that day. According to the post, the findings indicated that “the funds are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.” Among many other photos of the raid, there is a matching image of the money pile, as seen in the viral post. Logically Facts did not find any other source or credible reports to support the claim.
The verdict
The image does not show smuggled money in aid trucks heading to Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war. The photo was captured in 2017 in Nigeria during an anti-corruption raid. Logically Facts did not find other sources or credible reporting to support the claim. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.