PRNigeria Factcheck Debunks Viral Claim Linking A.A. Rano to Lebanese Woman
A viral video showing a distressed Lebanese woman accusing her husband of abandonment has been falsely attributed to prominent
Kano businessman Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, according to a fact-check investigation by PRNigeria.
The widely circulated video, which has spread across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, shows the woman pleading for help while identifying her husband. However, social media posts accompanying the video have incorrectly named the man as “A.A. Rano Oil CEO” or simply “A.A. Rano,” leading to widespread confusion about the identity of the person involved.
PRNigeria’s investigation reveals that the woman in the video consistently refers to her husband as “Aliyu Abubakar,” not Auwalu Abdullahi Rano. The two men are entirely different individuals with separate business identities, despite similar-sounding company names that have fueled the confusion.
Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, commonly known as A.A. Rano, is the chairman of A.A. Rano Nigeria Limited, a diversified conglomerate based in Kano State with interests in oil and gas, aviation, agro-processing, and related sectors. His company operates several Rano-branded subsidiaries including Rano Lube, Rano Air, Rano Refinery, Rano Rice Mill, Rano Agro Chemical, Rano Transportation, and Rano Upstream.
In contrast, Aliyu Abubakar—widely known in business circles as “AA Oil”—is a separate businessman associated with AA Oil Limited and has been previously mentioned in press archives in connection with properties in Abuja and other business matters.
Corporate records examined by PRNigeria confirm that A.A. Rano Nigeria Limited is the registered name of the Kano-based conglomerate, not “AA Rano Oil” as suggested in some viral posts. Business publications including BusinessDay and Punch have profiled Auwalu Abdullahi Rano and documented his business activities, consistently identifying him as the Kano-based entrepreneur behind the Rano group.
The confusion appears to stem from the superficial similarity between “A.A. Rano” and “AA Oil,” as well as the mixing of first names “Aliyu” and “Auwalu” in social media posts. However, these are demonstrably different people operating different companies.
Family sources close to Auwalu Abdullahi Rano told PRNigeria that the businessman has only two wives, both of whom reside permanently in Kano State. Neither lives in Abuja.
“My Chairman AA Rano has never married any foreigner nor any other wife in his life apart from these two. Above all he has no house in Abuja yet. I know that he is now building one in Maitama,” a source familiar with the matter confirmed to PRNigeria.
PRNigeria’s verification process found no credible or authoritative source linking Auwalu Abdullahi Rano to the Lebanese woman in the viral video. Instead, all available evidence—including the woman’s own statements during what appears to be a press conference—points to Aliyu Abubakar (AA Oil) as the person being accused of abandonment.
The investigation found that Aliyu Abubakar has an independent public footprint distinct from Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, including previous media coverage related to business activities and legal affairs, as well as associations with properties in Abuja.
The viral posts appear to have conflated several elements: the names “AA Rano” and “AA Oil,” the similar acronyms “A.A.” in both business names, and the first names “Aliyu” and “Auwalu.” This conflation has resulted in false attribution that has potentially damaged the reputation of an uninvolved party.
The spread of the misattributed video highlights ongoing challenges with information accuracy on social media platforms, where similar-sounding names and incomplete verification can lead to cases of mistaken identity that spread rapidly before corrections can be issued.
Verdict: False and Misattributed
PRNigeria has classified the claim that the Lebanese woman is the wife of A.A. Rano of Kano as false and misattributed.
The fact-check confirms that:
– The woman in the video identifies her husband as Aliyu Abubakar, not Auwalu Abdullahi Rano
– Auwalu Abdullahi Rano (A.A. Rano) and Aliyu Abubakar (AA Oil) are different individuals
– A.A. Rano Nigeria Limited and AA Oil Limited are separate corporate entities
– No credible evidence links the Kano businessman to the Lebanese woman or the allegations in the video
The viral circulation of the misattributed video demonstrates the importance of verifying information before sharing, particularly when claims involve specific individuals and potentially damaging allegations.
The Factcheck link: “Fact-check: Is Oil Magnet, A.A. Rano Married to a Lebanese woman?”
*This fact-check was conducted by PRNigeria, a media organization specializing in fact-checking and verification of claims circulating in Nigerian media and social platforms.