With the recent surge in fake news, the source of which has been a matter of speculation since March 9, I have undertaken careful research to uncover some of the origins of this threat to IPOB’s media credibility.

The screenshots provided below reveal an unknown Facebook page, “I News,” (I News) a fake media outlet with over 164,000 followers. This page consistently spreads fabricated stories targeting Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB, and the broader Igbo community.

One recent false story from the page claims that a pastor allegedly shared a vision about the Igbo people and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The page asserts that the pastor warned of a plan to massacre and eradicate the Igbo people from the face of the earth, driven by jealousy, envy, and hatred from the EU—or perhaps the West. It further alleges that the Nigerian government intends to use Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as bait to provoke Igbo people worldwide, sparking a massive war that would annihilate the Igbo population. The page concludes by urging the world to pray for Ndi Igbo.

You can verify for yourself that this page employs highly emotional and sentimental narratives in its fabricated stories, likely designed to provoke emotional reactions from its more vulnerable Igbo audience.

To be clear, no pastor has made any such revelation regarding the Igbo people or Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. These are the kinds of falsehoods we are working to expose. If we fail to address this, more of our people will share these delusional stories.

This fake page must not be allowed to persist. I recommend an immediate, widespread reporting campaign. Report the page and ensure Facebook takes it down.

-MNK Jr.