{"id":7603,"date":"2026-03-16T09:08:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T09:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1307007.us31.myftpupload.com\/?p=7603"},"modified":"2026-03-16T09:08:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T09:08:31","slug":"fact-check-former-nigerian-minister-didnt-weep-over-ayatollahs-killing-viral-video-is-from-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/fact-check-former-nigerian-minister-didnt-weep-over-ayatollahs-killing-viral-video-is-from-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"FACT-CHECK: Former Nigerian minister didn\u2019t weep over Ayatollah\u2019s killing, viral video is from 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Claim: <\/strong>Prof Isa Ali Pantami weeps over the killing of Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: <\/strong>Social media (X)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verdict:<\/strong> False <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researched by Alfa Shaban\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on February 28, 2026, on the first day of the Israel-US attack on Iran. Days later, a viral video on X<\/a> and Facebook<\/a> claimed a former Nigerian minister publicly shed tears over the killing of the Ayatollah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video, widely shared on social media platforms, showed Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami (the Digital Economy Minister under the Buhari administration) removing his spectacles and taking tissues to wipe his tears while delivering a sermon in a mosque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video featured an imposed text saying: \u201cBuhari former minister Isa Pantami on the supreme leader of Iran.\u201d The vertical video also had two images of the late Ayatollah at the bottom, along with an image of a war plane and a video inset of bombings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video that caught the attention of FactSpace West Africa was circulated on March 9, and attracted about 100,000 views, 337 comments, 348 reposts and 287 likes. Other X accounts shared the video here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Fig. 1 – Screenshot from the viral video as posted on X<\/em>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This report will verify whether Pantami has recently reacted to the killing of the Ayatollah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact-check<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While most comments under the viral post called out the minister for doing far less for Nigerians who have been killed and continue to face security challenges, one query to Grok, the xAI platform seeking authenticity of the video, gave us a clue to the possible recycling of an old video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe clip of Pantami tearing up at the mic is old footage from ~2023<\/strong>, during a tafsir sermon at Annur Mosque in Bauchi. Recent edits added Khamenei photos, strike explosions, jets, and the Israel-Iran map overlay to falsely tie it to the Feb 28 death. Raw video predates the event by years,\u201d the Grok query read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We went in search of the old footage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using advanced search on YouTube, we found a video compilation of the former Minister, who is also a respected Islamic cleric, responding to questions during his Ramadan lectures in April 2023<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stops speaking to briefly weep between the 40:27-second and 40:59-second of the over one-hour video. His tears were triggered by the sorrowful nature of the question, which borders on a heedless father\u2019s mistreatment of his four daughters. It is totally unrelated to the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Fig. 2 – Screenshot from the 2023 original video where Pantami shed tears<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

FactSpace West Africa observed the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n