By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
A viral social media post claiming tech mogul Elon Musk announced plans to establish Twitter’s (now X) African headquarters in Aba, Abia State Nigeria hailing the city as the “Japan of Africa” has been exposed as pure fabrication, with no evidence from Musk’s X account, official channels, or credible reports.
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The hoax, which exploded across Nigerian WhatsApp groups and X threads on Friday, falsely quoted Musk praising Aba’s “raw talent” during a “virtual announcement.” It racked up thousands of shares, fueling euphoria in the Southeast and dreams of a tech boom for the entrepreneurial hub known for shoe-making and innovation. But a DDNewsOnline fact-check reveals zero substantiation: Musk’s recent X posts focus on AI, SpaceX, and U.S. politics, with no mention of Aba, Abia, or African HQs.
“This is classic misinformation designed to stoke regional pride or troll rivals but it erodes trust in real investments,” said digital rights expert Osai Ojigho of Amnesty International Nigeria.
Experts blame AI-generated fakes and election-season psyops, coinciding with Anambra’s governorship polls where Southeast unity is key. “Hoaxes like this distract from real issues like infrastructure,” said Abia PDP chieftain Uche Okenwa.
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Abia Governor Alex Otti’s office chuckled: “Flattered, but let’s focus on our real tech hubs.” Aba traders, buzzing with false hope, now eye genuine boosts like the state’s shoe cluster.
No evidence supports the claim. Share facts, not fakes – report hoaxes to @xsupport.
DDNewsOnline
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