Americans told – AGAIN – that this is not a real dictator

Fact-checkers called in on President Obonjo video

comedy President Obonjo has been fact-checked by the US media after gullible Americans apparently took the British comedy character at face values.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s clampdown on immigrants in America, the stand-up alter-ego of Benjamin Bello released a video expelling US citizens from his country.

Even though he reference the fictitious Lafta Republic in the video, a number of social media accounts picked it up and added a caption claiming it was the President of Nigeria issuing the deportation order.

Those versions, labelled ‘Nigerian president final decision to Americans’ spread widely enough that the fact-checking team of USA Today swept into action.

And after a thorough journalistic investigation, the newspaper concluded: ‘That’s not the president of Nigeria. That’s a British comedian. There is no record of the real Nigerian leader – Bola Tinubu – making such a declaration.’

In the video President Obonjo says: ‘I'm going to make this message very, very brief. I am very, very horrified by what I am hearing about the Trump government and the deportation of migrants. I am horrified to see what is going on. considering that a lot of these migrants are black people.

‘ I have decided that I'm giving American citizens in my country 24 hours notice to pack their bags and leave my country immediately. All American businesses have been confiscated and will be nationalised. They will become Lafta Republic public companies. I will not repeat myself.

'Americans in my country are given 24 hours notice to leave and go back to America. Thank you.'

Their analysis might not have required more research than checking against the original clip, first posted by the fictional dictator on January 26, but USA Today also noted that the flag in the clip looks nothing like the flag of Nigeria. The newspaper also sombrely reported: ‘There is no record that [Tinubu] has made any announcements about ordering Americans to leave the country.

The outlet says that in selecting which claims to fact-check ‘we focus on ones that make a clear assertion, are on a topic of significance and are spreading enough to merit a response.’

It’s not the first time Americans have taken the spoof dictator at face value.

In 2023, international news agency Reuters felt compelled to issue a fact-check clarification after prominent right-wing commentator Melissa Tate shared a video of the character calling on America ‘to release Donald Trump immediately’ following his arrest in relation to his brazen attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

For the sake of those Americans who need to know, this is what a real dictator looks like:

Trump