PRNigeria Fact Check Debunks Lafia Flyover Collapse Claim as AI-Generated Hoax

A widely circulated claim on social media asserting the collapse of the newly constructed N10 billion Lafia flyover, barely three weeks after its commissioning, has been definitively debunked as false and misleading. A PRNigeria fact-check investigation revealed that the viral image accompanying the claim is an AI-generated fabrication, with no credible evidence to support the purported incident.

The false claim, which began trending on July 23, 2025, across platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram, was accompanied by text stating: “JUST IN: Flyover collapse after 3 weeks of commissioning in Lafia, Nassarawa State. 10 Billion was spent on this project. That is Nigeria for you.” This quickly triggered public outrage and concern, fueled by existing scrutiny over infrastructure quality in Nasarawa State.

PRNigeria’s investigation found that the timing of the viral image coincided with a genuine incident in Keffi, Nasarawa State. On July 18, 2025, a section of a flyover bridge in Keffi partially collapsed after an overloaded truck collided with a beam, resulting in two fatalities and several injuries. The Federal Government has since announced a 30-day emergency repair timeline for the Keffi bridge, which was constructed at a cost of N16 billion, not N10 billion as falsely claimed for the Lafia project.

Further scrutiny of the viral image linked to the Lafia claim revealed its inauthenticity. A reverse image search demonstrated its prior circulation in various unrelated contexts, including being used as an AI-generated image depicting fictional infrastructure disasters in India. The specific version used in the Lafia claim had previously been falsely attributed to a bridge collapse in Bihar, India.

Visual analysis using AI-detection tools identified tell-tale signs of generative AI, including distorted structures, unnatural shadow patterns, and missing details in human figures. Crucially, there are no credible media reports or government statements confirming any collapse of the Lafia flyover.

The Lafia flyover, Nasarawa State’s first overhead crossing, was inaugurated in May 2025 by Governor Abdullahi Sule and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It was designed to alleviate traffic congestion and improve urban mobility in the state capital.

In conclusion, PRNigeria’s rigorous fact-check found no evidence to substantiate the claim of the Lafia flyover collapsing. The accompanying image is confirmed to be AI-generated and has been previously used to spread false narratives. While a real flyover incident occurred in Keffi due to a vehicular accident, the Lafia bridge remains structurally sound. The claim and its accompanying image are therefore declared FALSE and misleading.

The link to the Factcheck: Did a N10bn Lafia Flyover Collapse Three Weeks After Commissioning in Nasarawa?