As Forensic Analysis Exposes Doctored Images Falsely Claiming Government Distributed Pants As Empowerment Gifts
Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf has publicly condemned a group of his own supporters whose display of red underwear while chanting derogatory songs about political rival Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso during the official visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, sparked outrage across the state and spawned a viral misinformation campaign involving digitally altered images falsely claiming the state government distributed pants to women as empowerment gifts.
The governor described the incident as “offensive,” “unacceptable,” and contrary to the moral, religious, and cultural values of Kano State, distancing himself and his administration from the conduct while calling on the youths involved to seek God’s forgiveness and apologise to the people of Kano.
Meanwhile, a forensic investigation by Daily Trust has confirmed that viral images purporting to show Governor Yusuf distributing underwear to women were digitally fabricated, with Error Level Analysis revealing that the governor’s image was inserted into manipulated photographs to create a false narrative that only began circulating a full day after the original political stunt occurred.
The controversy originated during the First Lady’s official visit to Kano on Thursday, when a group of supporters of Governor Yusuf, popularly known as “Gida-Gida TikTokers,” staged a provocative political stunt in front of the Kano Government House.
In a video that quickly went viral, the group was seen displaying red underwear while chanting songs mocking Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former Kano governor and current leader of the NNPP who remains a powerful political force in the state.
The group repeatedly used the phrase “Dan kamfan tsula,” loosely translated as “Tsula’s pants.” “Tsula,” a Hausa term for a small monkey, is a derogatory label frequently used in political rhetoric targeting Kwankwaso that gained popularity through songs by APC praise singer Dauda Kahutu Rarara.
The video reportedly surfaced through a TikTok influencer known as Teemah Cool, described as a leader among the Gida-Gida TikTokers. It triggered immediate backlash, particularly from Kwankwaso’s supporters, who condemned the act as indecent and reflective of declining political standards.
Teemah Cool later defended the action, stating she did not regret leading the display and arguing it was a response to earlier provocations by Kwankwasiyya supporters who had publicly waved wrappers while chanting “Falle daya ce,” implying Governor Yusuf would serve only one term.
Within a day of the original video circulating, a separate and more damaging narrative emerged: viral posts on social media alleged that the Kano State Government had distributed pants to women as empowerment or campaign gifts.
The claims were accompanied by photographs showing women holding red underwear, with captions suggesting the items were officially handed out by the government, and manipulated images falsely showing Governor Yusuf personally involved in the distribution.
Daily Trust conducted a forensic verification of the viral images using Error Level Analysis, a technique used to detect image manipulation.
The analysis found that in the suspected doctored image, a noticeably brighter patch appeared on the pants area, an inconsistency indicating that part of the image was edited or inserted separately before being recompressed. In the original version of the same image, brightness and noise levels were uniform across the same area, indicating no alteration.
“The bright patch in the viral image is a red flag, suggesting that the photo was tampered with,” the verification report stated.
Further forensic checks confirmed that the original image was altered to insert the image of Governor Yusuf, creating the false impression that he personally distributed the underwear.
Daily Trust’s investigation established that the images were extracted from the viral video of the TikTokers’ political stunt and then digitally manipulated to construct a false narrative of government-sponsored underwear distribution.
The “pants empowerment” narrative only began circulating on Friday, a full day after the original video was recorded on Thursday, indicating it was a deliberate distortion fabricated after the fact, not a documentation of an actual event.
Governor Yusuf addressed the controversy during the Third Special Prayer for Lasting Peace held at the Government House, where 4,444 Qur’anic reciters gathered to pray for peace, stability, and prosperity in Kano and Nigeria.
In a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Mustapha Muhammad, the governor described the youths’ conduct as a disturbing departure from the principles of his administration’s “Kano First Agenda” and a violation of Islamic teachings on modesty, discipline, and respect for constituted authority.
“Our youths should be symbols of hope and development, not tools for mockery or moral decadence,” Yusuf stated.