CLAIM: Angry youths set fire to Nafiu Bala’s residence in Gombe State after the Supreme Court recognized David Mark’s faction as the legitimate leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
BACKGROUND
Shortly after the Supreme Court affirmed David Mark’s faction as the ADC’s legitimate leadership on 30 April 2026 and INEC updated its records, several Facebook posts alleged that youths had torched the home of Nafiu Bala, a factional ADC leader in Gombe State.
These posts included four images: a portrait of Bala and three photos of buildings engulfed in flames with onlookers present.
VERIFICATION
When WITHIN NIGERIA team analysed the images, it discovered that one of the photos used in the post is from a fire at Abubakar Tatari Ali market in Azare, Bauchi State, on 6 March. It has no connection to Nafiu Bala or Gombe State.
Likewise, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, Public Relations Officer for the Gombe State Police Command, said after an investigation that no fire at Bala’s residence occurred anywhere in the state.
He described the story as false and confirmed no incident was recorded.
Abdullahi urged residents to disregard the misinformation, remain calm, and verify information before sharing it online to avoid spreading panic.
He reiterated that the command is maintaining peace and security across all LGAs in Gombe.
The allegation that Nafiu Bala’s house was set ablaze by angry youths is false and misleading. No such event occurred, according to the Gombe State Police Command.
VERDICT
The claim that angry youths set Nafiu Bala’s residence ablaze after the Supreme Court recognized David Mark’s faction is false and misleading.
No such event occurred, according to the Gombe State Police Command.
