FACT CHECK: Viral image of ‘dilapidated road in Abia’ not from Nigeria

BY NURUDEEN AKEWUSHOLA

You must have seen a viral image making the rounds on social media purported to be a dilapidated road in Abia state.

The image shows an asphalt road cut into two, with the other half broken off the track. The image also has the caption written in Nigerian pidgin, “I hear say breeze blow road comot from road for inside Abia state”.

The image has been widely shared on social media and instant messaging platforms since 2020. Ugomacy Dgreat, a Facebook user, shared the image on September 8, 2020. The post garnered 95 comments and 113 likes.

Orluorlu Gerald also shared the image on his Facebook page, on July 5, with the caption, “Brethren: Wonders have ended. This contractor will not make heaven, unless he repents.” The post generated 19 comments and 14 likes.

The image was in circulation as recent as Saturday when Aliyu Hassan and Vickie Teema, Facebook users, shared it on their timelines.

BUT THE ROAD IS NOT IN NIGERIA

Checks by TheCable showed that the picture is from Thailand, an Asian country, where a flood-ravaged road was split into sheets. The photo, published in 2019, depicts the condition of one of the routes in Ban Huai Thom – Na Nong Daeng route, Chanuman District, Amnat Charoen Province, Thailand.

A closer look at the image also showed that the people around the location are Asians.

BELOW ARE OTHER IMAGES OF THE DILAPIDATED ROAD IN THAILAND

VERDICT: The caption on the viral image saying the road is from Abia state is misleading. Findings showed that the road is in Thailand.