FACT CHECK: Did UK Media Expert Say Biafra Radio Is The Most Educative In Africa?

A news item on social networking services, Facebook and Twitter read: "Radio Biafra Is The Most Educative Radio In Africa – UK Media Expert. The most popular British Broadcast cooperation presenter, Elizabeth Edward said Radio Biafra is the most educative radio in Africa, it has the potential to liberate Africans from the bondage of ignorance.

"She urges all Africans to make Biafra radio their favorite, she said Nnamdi Kanu is the most radio intelligent presenter she ever seen.

"She said through Radio Biafra Africa can be free from oppression, Nnamdi Kanu has used Biafra radio to open the eyes of many Africans. If you are not listening to Biafra radio you are missing a lot."

This three-paragraph 'report' - which has been reshared dozens of times - was sighted on accounts of social media users with apparent Biafra separatist leaning on February 27, 2021, and on May 12, 2021-- although, this claim has been in cyberspace since October 2020. See here too.

It was also published on a pro-Biafra blog The Biafra Star on October 13, 2020.

But is this claim true? AllNews checks.

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About Radio Biafra

Radio Biafra, also known as Voice of Biafra, is a radio station that was founded by the government of the Republic of Biafra. It is now operated by diaspora-based pro-Biafra political activist, Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu leads the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an organization canvassing for the sovereignty of Eastern Nigeria.

Radio Biafra is believed to have its first transmission before the Nigeria-Biafra war. The radio station was instrumental in the broadcast of speeches and propaganda by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to the people of Eastern Nigeria.

Now based abroad, Radio Biafra transmits via the internet and shortwave broadcasts targeted to Eastern Nigeria. Radio Biafra claims to be broadcasting the ideology of Biafra –"Freedom of the Biafran people".

Radio Biafra has been met with mixed reactions. Critics have condemned the station for "inciting war" through its programmes and "preaching hate messages" against Nigeria which Kanu constantly refers to as a “zoo”.

On 14 July 2015, it was reported in the media that the radio station had been jammed because it did not have a broadcast licence from the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC). However, the radio station has labelled such claims as "lies" and went on to release its new frequency details to the public.

To date, Radio Biafra broadcasts.

READ ALSO: Eid: Biafrans More Than Ever Before Divided Along Religious Line, Says Uche Mefor

The 'popular' Elizabeth Edward

The information named Elizabeth Edward, and described her as "the most popular British Broadcast cooperation presenter".

But checks by AllNews shows two well-known personalities with that name -- although with an 's' in the Edward. First is Late Elizabeth Edwards, an American attorney, and second is Professor Elizabeth Edwards, a visual and historical anthropologist.

The 'British Broadcast cooperation' most likely referred to was the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). And there is only one British Broadcasting Corporation.

AllNews' dissection could not find any BBC Presenter with the name Elizabeth Edward or Elizabeth Edwards.

And since the person - or people as the case may be - who put out the information said the woman is "the most popular", she should have been easily searchable.

Image deceptive

AllNews performed a reverse image search on the image bandied around as Elizabeth Edward and found out that it was that of Jane Hill, a BBC news presenter.

Portrait of BBC News presenter and broadcaster Jane Hill, 09/04/2008. (Photo by Jeff Overs/BBC News and Current Affairs via Getty Images)

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There is no credible news media where you'd find Hill's comments about Biafra or its outlawed pirate radio station.

Conclusion

The claim that a UK media expert, named Elizabeth Edward, said Biafra Radio is 'the most educative radio in Africa' is false.

The quotes attributed to the said UK media expert were cooked up.

Over 50 years after the civil war ended in Nigeria, the struggle to keep the dream of a separate Biafra state alive continues, including through a relentless disinformation campaign on social media.