No, This Isn’t a Protest in Nigeria Demanding ‘Justice for SSR’

An image of protesters holding placards reading ‘Justice For Sushant’ is being shared on social media with a claim that it’s from a rally organised in Nigeria.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

An image of protesters holding placards reading ‘Justice For Sushant’ is being shared on social media with a claim that it’s from a rally organised in Nigeria in support of the late Bollywood actor, Sushant Singh Rajput. However, we found that the viral image is photoshopped and is actually from protests against police brutality in Nigeria.

CLAIM

The image shows three protesters sitting on chairs with placards carrying photos of Sushant Singh Rajput and slogans demanding justice for the actor. The caption, along with the image, reads: “The world is demanding for justice for SSR. We want justice, the world wants justice for Sushant Singh Rajput. Thank you, Nigeria.”

An archived version of the post can be accessed here.(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

An archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

An archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

WHAT WE FOUND

We conducted a reverse image search on the photo which led us to a report by CNN dated 13 October, which carried the same image.

(Source: CNN/Screenshot)

According to this report, “Protests erupted in cities across Nigeria after weeks of outcry online from young people in the country over claims of kidnapping, harassment and extortion by a police unit known as the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).”

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the viral image and the original image.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

As illustrated, a photoshopped image of protesters at a rally in Nigeria is being shared on social media to insinuate that protests demanding justice for Sushant Singh Rajput are being organised across the world.

Sushant Singh Rajput's death in June earlier this year has led to a series of fake news and conspiracy theories being peddled on social media as well as the mainstream media. The Quint has earlier debunked several such claims.

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