Nigerian singer Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, popularly known as Skales, has dismissed as false a viral claim that Grammy-winning artiste Burna Boy once gifted him ₦600,000, describing the story as fake news.
The clarification was made public on January 3, 2026, following widespread circulation of the claim on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter).
The viral narrative alleged that Burna Boy had financially assisted Skales with ₦600,000 during a period when the singer was struggling.
Reacting to the claim, Skales firmly stated that no such financial assistance ever took place.
“This never happened,” Skales said.
Skales explained that the story did not originate from Burna Boy or anyone close to him.
According to him, the false claim was created and pushed online by a Burna Boy fan identified as Benny on X.
Skales disclosed that he had previously reached out to the fan privately to ask why he was being targeted with online attacks.
“There was a time I had to reach out to a Burna Boy fan on Twitter and ask him what I did to deserve the hate,” he said.
Skales said the fan later fabricated the story about the ₦600,000 gift and circulated it as fact.
“He went ahead to create fake news that Burna Boy helped me with ₦600,000, which is completely untrue,” he stated.
The singer made the revelation during an interview on the Adesope Live show, where he addressed the issue in detail.
Skales stressed that the false narrative could create unnecessary tension between artistes in the Nigerian music industry.
He warned against the growing culture of misinformation driven by fan rivalry on social media.
“Fake stories like this can cause problems where none exist,” Skales said.
The singer also urged fans to stop using lies to pitch musicians against one another.
He added that artistes should be allowed to relate naturally without external pressure or fabricated narratives.
The denial was subsequently reported by several Nigerian media platforms on January 3, 2026, further confirming that the ₦600,000 gift story had no factual basis.
As of the time of reporting, Burna Boy has not reacted publicly to the claim or Skales’ denial.
The incident adds to ongoing conversations about misinformation, fan wars, and the impact of unchecked social media claims on Nigeria’s entertainment industry.