A video shared on Facebook purportedly shows Chinese-owned businesses burnt to the ground by Nigerians in response to harassment and discrimination against African citizens in China.

Verdict: False

The video shows a market on fire in Ibadan, Nigeria. There is no evidence the fire was deliberately set or intended to target Chinese-owned businesses, according to local news reporting.

Fact Check:

The footage shows a building engulfed in flames and people running from it, while a woman in a nearby building shouts for them to “get out.” The caption claims it depicts “Nigerians burning down Chinese businesses in retaliation for attacks on Africans in China.”

The Facebook caption’s claim is inaccurate, however. Local media outlets that picked up the video reported the fire occurred at the Dugbe Market in Ibadan, Nigeria, on April 15. Witnesses said it started accidentally and “emanated from an electrical spark that started from welding equipment,” according to The Guardian Nigeria.

While multiple shops, residential buildings and vehicles sustained damage from the blaze, there was no mention of any Chinese-owned businesses being affected or targeted.

The post appears to reference recent reports that African citizens have faced discrimination under coronavirus mitigation efforts in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. African citizens have reported being evicted from their apartments, being tested for coronavirus multiple times without receiving results and being discriminated against in public, according to Reuters.

China has denied such allegations from U.S. and African officials, according to NBC News. (RELATED: Viral Image Claims To Show A Chinese Coronavirus Hospital In Wuhan)

The Daily Caller News Foundation found no evidence to corroborate the post’s claim that Nigerians set the fire to damage Chinese-owned businesses for retaliation. We rate the claim false.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].