National leader of the Jama’at Izalat al Bid’a Wa Iqamat as Sunna (JIBWIS), also known as the Izala Society, Sheikh Bala Lau, has demanded ₦100 Million from Sahara Reporters to compensate for sharing news that he had died.
Sahara Reporters on May 10th, reported that Sheikh Bala Lau had died and that social distancing guidelines were not followed at his burial. Pictures and videos of a crowded funeral were shared online from Sahara Reporters to back up the information that he had died and that social distancing guidelines had not been followed. A number of Twitter users that responded to the tweet condemning northern Nigerians for not following social distancing rules and guidelines.
However, some of the people that responded to the tweet from Sahara Reporters’ mentioned that the video and pictures were old and they accused Sahara Reporters of publishing fake news.
An Izala Society follower then shared a video of his video call with Sheikh Bala Lau in which the sheikh confirmed that he is alive. Sahara Reporters took to Twitter and it’s website to delete the tweet and the article without publishing a retraction. A story was later published saying that another Izala leader had died, but they didn’t mention social distancing guidelines in that story.
The Sheikh, through his lawyers, has now demanded to be compensated with a sum of ₦100 Million from Sahara Reporters.
The link to the Sahara Reporters’ original story of Sheikh Lau’s death. https://secure.saharareporters.com/2020/05/10/leader-izala-society-sheikh-bala-lau-dead
The link to the Sahara Reporters’ story that Sheikh Lau is alive. http://saharareporters.com/2020/05/10/leader-izala-society-sheikh-bala-lau-alive
