In Nigeria, online spaces are rife with ethnic slurs traded between the Yoruba and the Igbo — and this has worsened since the tense 2023 election that featured presidential candidates from these ethnicities. Recent posts on X claim to show pictures of three Nigerian children hospitalised after eating a popular Yoruba dish. But the claim is false; the pictures are screenshots from a content creator’s video showing what she prepared for her family.
“BREAKING NEWS!!! 3 children hospitalised, after Eating Yariba Ewedu and Amala. Investigation Ongoing (sic),” reads the caption of an X post published on August 2, 2025.
“Yariba” is an ethnic slur against Yorubas. “Ewedu” is a green soup made from jute leaves, while “amala” is a soft, stretchy Nigerian dough made from yam flour. A popular dish in Nigeria combines amala and ewedu with stew.
Attached to the post are two images showing three children who appear to be unhappy with the food in front of them.
Shared more than 500 times, the claim was published by an account called “Mike Ejeagha”. AFP Fact Check’s review of the account shows it regularly shares ethnic slurs targeting ethnicities in Nigeria, especially the Yoruba people.
Ethnic slander and tribalistic rhetoric have become increasingly common on X among Nigerian users of Igbo and Yoruba descent, especially in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election (archived here).
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