FACT-CHECK : Did people protest at Emir of Ilorin’s Palace over Hardship? 

Claims have circulated online that people held a protest yesterday shouting and lamenting over poverty and hardship in front of the Emir’s Palace in Ilorin.

The claims were in circulation since yesterday on X formerly known as Twitter. 

A tweet by @Omoelerinjare yesterday claimed that some people protested due to hunger and hardship in the country at the Emir of Ilorin Palace. 

The tweet reads, “Breaking News: Serious protest at the Emir’s Palace in Ilorin Kwara State!

” We are Hungry, The state is Hungry”

So far, the tweet has attracted, 1.6K reposts, 2.2 likes and 629 comments as of the time of filing this report. 

FINDINGS 

Findings conducted by SHO PEN ONLINE, shows that no protest was held at the Emir of ilorin’s palace and the video in circulation was part of the events that characterized and witnessed during the build-up to the 2019 general elections.

The Emir’s Spokesman, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, In a statement issued on Sunday, stated categorically that the said video circulated was part of the events that characterized and witnessed during the build-up to the 2019 general elections.

The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a video in circulation on social media platforms where some people are shouting and lamenting over poverty and hardship in front of the Emir’s Palace in Ilorin.

We want to state categorically that the said video was part of the events that characterized and witnessed during the build-up to the 2019 general elections.

The video does not have any connection with the current situation in the country and it would be recalled that in occasions of such, the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara Traditional Rulers Council, Mai-Martaba Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari CFR always express his concern on the need to ensure that peace and harmony continue to prevail in the society.

At the height of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the emir expressed high level of concerns and joined governments at all levels in the campaign towards ensuring that the unfortunate situation was contained while he also played frontline roles in championing the pains and interests of the masses during the scarcity of Naira currency which inflicted hardship nationwide with no exemption to anyone irrespective of social, political and economic status.

On the current economic hardship, the Emir and his colleagues at the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council level are engaging government at all levels on the need to continue to improve on the welfare, security and social life of the people of the state with commendations to the state government for being responsive to masses-oriented issues.

We thereby appeal to the general public to disregard the video in circulation in order to avoid any misrepresentation of the scenario vis a vis the location of the gathering as reflected in the video even as he plead with the people of Ilorin and Kwara State at large to remain peaceful and prayer always.” 

VERDICT 

The claim that people protested yesterday at the emir of ilorin’s palace due to hunger and hardship is False.