The recording has been online since May 2023 and predates the 26 July 2023 coup in Niger.
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This Facebook post with a video purportedly of Mohamed Bazoum being released from detention after resigning as the Nigerien President is FALSE.
The video, initially on TikTok, shows Bazoum surrounded by uniformed soldiers walking in an unidentified compound. The video, which also features the country’s flag, is captioned ‘Gouré’ — a Nigerien town.
The post reads: “VIDEO: After Signing His Resignation Letter With The Junta, the Overthrown Democratically Elected President of Niger Republic, Bazoum Has Been Released To Go Home (sic).”
The video is credited to lefantchoco22, a TikTok account, and has also been shared here with the same claim.
Bazoum was toppled by a section of the military led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani who, until 26 July, was the head of the presidential guard. The deposed Head of State was detained in the presidential palace in Niamey after the coup.
Subsequently, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced a likely military intervention against the coup leaders if they did not reinstate Bazoum. ECOWAS is a regional economic bloc comprising 15 members, among them Niger.
However, the military intervention had not materialised by 9 August 2023 when the video was shared.
Some Western countries, including the United States, Germany and France, have also demanded that the military reinstate Bazoum.
A search on TikTok brings up the same video as shared by @lefantchoco22 on 4 May 2023, two months before the coup in Niger.
https://v16-web-newkey.tiktokcdn.com/108fca555aab293bd5f4fbba3dedbfa4/6537cba7/video/tos/useast2a/tos-useast2a-ve-0068c004/oQBBA8cUbelEeEvQIkDndkbaEihEQIw5BJSbrR/?a=1988&ch=0&cr=3&dr=0&lr=tiktok_m&cd=0%7C0%7C0%7C3&br=2476&bt=1238&bti=NDU3ZjAwOg%3D%3D&cs=0&ds=1&ft=ApKJEBQUq8ZmoVjATQ_vjD80iAhLrus&mime_type=video_mp4&qs=0&rc=Omk0NzQ0ZDozZ2U1NDtpZEBpM3Y1aGg6ZjlpazMzNzczM0AxLzYwNV81Ni8xXzM0Xl9jYSNhamJzcjRvMTZgLS1kMTZzcw%3D%3D&l=20231024075000246FB1821F1FD95C4D94&btag=e00088000
As of 13 August 2023, Bazoum was still in detention. The President’s doctor is reported to have attended to him and that the democratically-elected leader was in ‘good spirits’.
A reverse search of a screengrab from the recording only returns videos shared after the coup.
While PesaCheck cannot independently verify where the footage of Bazoum was taken or the context, it is clear that the video has been online since May 2023.
PesaCheck has looked into a Facebook post with a video purportedly of deposed Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum being released to go home after signing his resignation letter and found it to be FALSE.
This post is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms.
By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. We do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds.
Have you spotted what you think is fake or false information on Facebook? Here’s how you can report. And, here’s more information on PesaCheck’s methodology for fact-checking questionable content.
This fact-check was written by PesaCheck fact-checker Harriet Ogayo and edited by PesaCheck senior copy editor Cédrick Irakoze and acting chief copy editor Francis Mwaniki.
The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck managing editor Doreen Wainainah.
