The claim that hoodlums burnt moving train in Offa is FALSE.
By: Abdulrasheed Hammad
The Claim
FALSE claims circulated across the social media platform and numerous media outlets that the hoodlums burnt a moving train on Wednesday, 06th, October 2021 in Offa Railway Station.
The Punch Newspaper published the fake report on Thursday, 7 October 2021 that the moving train from Lagos was set ablaze by hoodlums in Offa Railway Station on Tuesday.
Similarly, Daily Trust also published a similar report on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, that a train used to convey passengers and goods has been set on fire in Kwara State, Offa Local Government of the state on Wednesday.
These reports generated a lot of controversy and criticism from the general public as shown in the comment section on their Facebook pages (The Punch Newspaper and Daily Trust) where some commentators suggested that the government should declare a state of emergency in the area and in turn ridiculed the entire Offa community.
The post on the Punch Facebook official page had more than 3000 likes, more than 2k comments, and more than 1k shares.
Whereas, Numerous media outlets, bloggers, and Nigerians have, however, republished it on their platforms.
The link to the full report by The Punch Newspaper: https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/hoodlums-set-kano-bound-train-on-fire-in-kwara-two-coaches-burnt/%3famp
Also, The Daily Trust report reads: “Man Flees After Setting Train On Fire In Kwara
“A train used to convey passengers and goods has been set on fire in Kwara State.
Two out of 15 coaches of the train were affected in the incident which occurred in Offa local government area of the state, on Wednesday.” Link: https://dailytrust.com/man-flees-after-setting-train-on-fire-in-kwara.
Verification
First of all, THE ELITES WATCH reporter observed that the picture used in the report published by Punch Newspaper is not from Offa but was firstly used on 1st of May, 2018 in a report with the headline “US to improve rail service in Nigeria” as shown in Tineye reverse image tool.
Further clarification disclosed that the picture used by Daily Trust is the original pics of the incident but indications from the report that the burnt train is a moving train from Lagos is False.
Photo used by Daily Trust in their report
This Reporter reliably confirmed that the burnt train is the Offa to Kano abandoned coaches and not moving coaches as claimed.
While speaking with one of the staff of National Railway Corporation workers in Offa, he disclosed that the last time the train pass through Offa railway station was on Tuesday, 28, September 2021, noting that the train that was supposed to pass through their railway station on Friday, 1st October 2021 was canceled due to the Public holiday.
He clarified that the burnt train is an Offa- Kano abandoned coach.
“The last train took off on Tuesday, 28, September 2021 and was supposed to come back last week Friday from Lagos, but it was canceled due to public holiday. And We’re expecting that it will come this Friday, 08, Oct 2021,” he stressed.
AbdulYekeen Rilwan said the misleading report by Punch Newspaper about their dear community is worrisome and misleading. He clarified that the burnt train was among the abandoned coaches that are no longer in active usage by the Railway Corporation.
“The report puts our dear community of harboring criminals who go on to perpetuate violence unchecked, thus instilling fear in the minds of people in our dear community.
“It portrays our dear community in a bad light,”he lamented.
He, however, insisted that Punch Newspaper apologise to Offa Community for using their platform to report negative news about their dear community.
However, In a video released by one of the indigenous Offa Community at the Railway station (the scene of the incident), he stated that the report published by Punch Newspaper is misleading, noting that the burnt train is not a moving train but a stagnant coaches that have been in existence for over five years.
“I don’t think in the last ten months, no moving train had passed through this railway station except the locomotive one.
“The situation on the ground is this. One of the miscreants that do come around to smoke weed mistakenly dropped a lighting remnant of his weed into the coach that caught up with the coaching chairs in the train which inflamed and burnt the entire body of the two coaches, ” he revealed in the video released.
Likewise, on a Kwara-Based WhatsApp platform, One of the aggrieved residents of the Offa community expressed his displeasure over the fake news report published by The Punch Newspaper, noting that the report has tarnished the image of the whole community.
“I would love to say to hell with your medium that lacks appropriate reportage but chose to blackmail the community just because of your horrible and unprofessional ways?
“If you want to practice journalism and lack basic tools for it, you better go and sell pure water at the post office, ” he angrily said on the micro-blog platform.
Meanwhile, The Offa Descendant Union has released a press statement, signed by Maruf Olalekan AJENIFUJA, the National P.R.O, ODU, National Headquarters, Offa.
The statement explained that the investigation conducted by the union disclosed that the two burnt abandoned train coaches have been there for over five years, noting that it has become the hideouts for miscreants who smoked and left the remnant cigarette there which later caused the fire outbreak.
The press release read thus: “The attention of Offa Descendants’ Union, O.D.U has been drawn to a publication on Tuesday, 7th October 2021 by the Punch Newspaper alleging that a North-bound train was set on fire by hoodlums in Offa.
“In the said publication, the incident was stretched beyond its point of elasticity casting aspersions on the name and fame of our noble community.
“O.D.U wishes to state categorically that the incident has been thoroughly investigated and found out that no North-bound Train was set ablaze in Offa.
The press release also called the attention of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to their abandoned properties including staff headquarters and train coaches and advised them to work with the security operatives to get rid of miscreants occupying their properties in Offa.
Offa Descendant Union, therefore, demanded a retraction for the malicious news within seven days and a public apology from the Punch Newspaper to the Offa community.
Verdict
The claim that hoodlums burnt moving train in Offa is FALSE.
As of the time of fact-checking this, both reports haven’t been deleted on their platforms.
Today Nigeria News & Kwara Daily Stories
Today Nigeria News & Kwara Daily Stories
