FACT-CHECK REPORT: Wike Didn’t Endorse Israel’s Military Attack on Palestine
In the recent conversation between former Governor of Rivers and current FCT Minister, Bar. Nyesom Wike and the Israeli ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, there was no mention of Palestine’s attack on Israel or vise versa, let alone condemning it.
Amidst the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel, a 6-minute and 16-second Hausa audio had emerged on WhatsApp claiming that Wike voiced his support for military attacks on Palestine, during a meeting with the Israel ambassador in Abuja. https://prnigeria.com/2023/10/13/wike-support-attack-palestine/
The audio with a post captioned “Wike Supports Attacks on Palestine” has been forwarded many times to numerous WhatsApp groups and Hausa speakers.
However, PRNigeria meticulously reviewed the entire conversation between Wike and Freeman, but no mention of the ongoing conflict between the two countries was found, nor was there any condemnation of either side.
Their discussion was consistently focused on the importance of collaboration between Nigeria and Israel. Ambassador Freeman expressed his willingness to work with Nigeria to generate employment opportunities for its unemployed population, transform Abuja into a technology hub, and engage in agricultural partnerships.
In response, Wike conveyed Nigeria’s commitment to partnering with Israel in the field of Information Technology with a plan to establish a technology village in Abuja.
He also highlighted the favourable climate in Abuja, suggesting a collaborative effort to create a large technology-driven farm that could employ many youths.
Furthermore, Wike sought Israel’s assistance in enhancing Nigeria’s technological security measures to strengthen national security.
Notably, PRNigeria noted that the Minister and the ambassador did not address the ongoing unrest in Israel and Palestine during their conversation.
Therefore, PRNigeria, concludes that the claim that the FCT Minister voiced his support for Israel against Palestine out of hatred for Islam and Muslims is False and Inciting.
