By Dare Akogun
Claim: Ibrahim Traore was disrespected by an Air France hostess while travelling.
Verdict: No credible evidence or official confirmation supports the claim. A thorough review of verified news platforms, official statements, and credible databases reveals that the incident did not occur.
Full Text
On April 22, 2025, a Facebook user named Dabreezy Comedy shared a video stating that Ibrahim Traore, the President of Burkina Faso, was disrespected by an Air hostess who did not know his identity.
“They disrespected him, not knowing he was Ibrahim Traore, the Leader of the Burkina Faso military junta, when he was about to travel,” the caption reads.
The user also urged his followers to comment and share. As of May 11, 2025, the post had garnered 193,000 views, 333 comments, and 7,400 likes. With a followership of 764,000, Dabreezy Comedy describes himself as a content creator, stand-up comedian, MC, and brand influencer.
Given the significant engagement and the nature of Dabreezy Comedy as an entertainment-focused account, DUBAWA decided to investigate the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted keyword searches and found YouTube videos uploaded between April 19 and April 22, 202,5, here, here, and here.
These videos, from various channels, suggest a narrative of Traore being disrespected on an Air France flight, aligning with the Facebook post’s timeline. The YouTube page Voice of Pan Africanism, where the post originates and which has three other videos about the Burkinabe President, prides itself as a go-to channel for the latest African news and insights into the Pan-African movement.
“We cover the voices and stories that shape the continent, from political leaders like Ibrahim Traoré to everyday heroes fighting for unity and progress,” part of YouTube’s page description reads.
Further search on the page reveals a disclaimer: “This video is a work of fiction inspired by the life of IBRAHIM TRAORÉ. While some elements are based on real events, the situations and dialogues depicted are entirely fictional and do not reflect any actual events. Any resemblance to real-life occurrences is purely coincidental”.
The account also noted that sound or visuals in the video were significantly edited or digitally generated.
Additional searches for news articles about the incident and related queries returned no results from reputable sources. Instead, the results continued to show YouTube videos and a forum post from Nairaland, which is often not a primary news source.
Searches for official statements from the Burkina Faso government, Air France, and President Ibrahim Traoré yielded no response.
This absence of official acknowledgement is significant, as incidents involving heads of state typically generate reports from authoritative channels or mainstream media.
The images included in the video also bear a strong semblance to those generated using Artificial Intelligence tools. DUBAWA could not find other instances where they were uploaded outside the claims shared in the video report. For example, using TinEye to carry out a reverse image search on the picture of the French Chief Executive returned no results. A Google Lens search only brought back a result linking back to the Nairaland post and a TikTok account that shared the same video around the same time.
Fact-checking and misinformation context
An AFP Fact Check article, published on May 6, 2025, discussed how disinformation about Ibrahim Traore has spread on social media, particularly in Nigeria, fueled by viral videos and memes.
While it does not specifically address the plane incident, it notes that many claims about Traore are misleading or false, suggesting a pattern that could include the current claim.
Another fact-check from PRNigeria News, published on March 29, 2025, debunked a different viral claim about Traore, further indicating the prevalence of unverified stories about him.
This context supports the hypothesis that the plane disrespect claim may also be fabricated.
Analysis of Dabreezy Comedy and Social Media Syndication
A search for “Dabreezy Comedy social media” was conducted to understand the source. Results included their official Facebook page and YouTube channel, confirming their identity as a content creator with a focus on comedy and entertainment.
Articles about social media comedians, here & here, highlight that comedians often prioritise engagement over factual accuracy, which aligns with Dabreezy Comedy’s profile.
The presence of multiple YouTube videos with similar narratives, uploaded around the same time as the Facebook post, suggests syndication across social media platforms. Titles like “They Disrespected Ibrahim Traore Not Knowing He Was the President!” and “Flight attendant tells Ibrahim Traoré to get off the plane, unaware he was the president” indicate a coordinated spread, likely driven by the viral nature of the story. However, the lack of credible sources corroborating these videos reinforces their unverified status.
The syndication across YouTube channels indicates a viral spread, but this does not validate the claim, given the lack of verification.
Overview
Using video verification tools such as InVID, a reverse search of the footage traces its origin to a series of YouTube channels that have previously shared the same video.
The evidence leans toward the conclusion that voiceover and some images in the video are AI-generated or manipulated content. The absence of credible reporting, official statements, and fact-check confirmations, combined with the context of deepfakes and misinformation about Traore, suggests that the story is likely fabricated.
The prevalence of similar unverified videos on YouTube and the confirmed use of AI-generated content in Traore-related narratives further support this.
The broader context of digital propaganda, as detailed in The Africa Report article, indicates a coordinated effort to glorify Traore through manipulated content, which could include the video in question.
Screenshot of the Africa Report about the digital cult glorifying Ibrahim Traore
Conclusion
Based on the comprehensive analysis, some of the video’s contents are AI-generated or manipulated, and the incident described cannot be substantiated through credible press coverage. The claim is, therefore, misleading.
