In a recent revelation, prominent Nigerian investigative journalist, David Hundeyin cast doubt on the credibility of an individual claiming to be a former classmate of influential politician Bola Tinubu.

Hundeyin’s investigation sheds light on the importance of funding independent media outlets for robust and objective journalism.

The controversy arose when a person identified as “Durojaiye Ogunsanya” made an appearance on TVC, alleging to have been a classmate of Bola Tinubu at Chicago State University. However, Hundeyin’s rigorous investigation uncovered alarming inconsistencies.

Hundeyin pointed out that no verifiable information could be found about the existence of a person named “Durojaiye Ogunsanya” outside of news articles discussing the TVC appearance.

While this raised suspicions about the authenticity of the claim, Hundeyin emphasized that a “public affairs analyst” should have a traceable online presence, which was conspicuously absent in this case.

Also, Hundeyin expressed concerns about the readiness of some journalists to report and amplify unverified information.

He drew attention to the fact that while this alleged classmate’s claim garnered significant media coverage, crucial issues such as the FBI’s pending release of a 2,500-page dossier on Bola Tinubu and Chicago State University’s disavowal of the certificate submitted by Tinubu to INEC went largely unreported.

Hundeyin’s investigation serves as a stark reminder of the critical role played by independent media in holding individuals and institutions accountable. He urged the public to support independent media organizations as a means of ensuring transparency and truthfulness in reporting.

The revelation adds to a growing list of instances in which mainstream Nigerian media outlets have been criticized for failing to conduct thorough investigations and for uncritically echoing official narratives. Hundeyin’s message underscores the importance of fostering independent journalism to ensure a more informed and accountable society.

According to David Hundeyin, “Example no 1,358,956 of why you need to fund independent media:

“Everybody and their dog is now reporting that one “Durojaiye Ogunsanya” appeared on TVC claiming to be Tinubu’s coursemate at @ChicagoState.

“Exactly NONE of them bothered to do a 5-minute fact check to even establish whether anybody called “Durojaiye Ogunsanya” even exists. A simple refined string search on Google using that search keyword shows very clearly that this is a made-up identity.