Image of a military helicopter. Photo Source: TSJ Reporters.
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Claim: An X post claimed that the Nigerian Air Force conducted multiple air strikes in a troubled community in Kwara State.
Verdict: Misleading! DUBAWA’s inquiry shows that the image circulating online does not show an airstrike in Oke-Ode, Kwara State. Findings reveal that the picture was initially taken from a 2024 operation in Borno State.
Full Text
In recent times, a plethora of remote communities in Kwara State, North-central Nigeria, have experienced a surge in bandit attacks. The violent attacks have forced many locals to flee their homes for safety as families cry out over abduction.
An X user, @Milnewsng, asserted that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) launched a series of air strikes on terrorist hideouts in some areas in the state.
With an accompanying image showing a marked area purportedly targeted in the operation, the poster asserted that multiple airstrikes have been conducted in Kakihun, Oke-Ode, Babanla, and the nearby regions of Kwara State.
“Recce + CAS ops were executed as threat deterrence & bandits/terrorists seen at East of Babanla were targeted in airstrikes,” parts of the caption read.
The post has been widely shared on other social media platforms like Instagram, here, and Facebook.
As of Oct. 8, 2025, the post had garnered about 79,000 views, 591 likes, and 237 reposts.
We examined the comments under the post. Some users believed the assertion, while many others doubted its veracity. Find some of the responses below:
Afonja Ojolowo1 expressed, “Who is sponsoring these lies while people are still running away from the affected villages?”
@Superdtech wrote, “Good target, I trust the [Nigerian] military has acquired weapons to neutralise all these jangons.”
@Rerevonschopfer argued, “I don’t believe this. Guys post pictures like this every time, yet they still keep increasing their attacks.”
@Effzee noted: “You attached a misleading image.”
The claim’s contradicting views prompted DUBAWA to verify the post and set the record straight.
Verification
To authenticate the claim, we conducted a thorough keyword search to see if any credible media outlet reported the operation. No credible media outlet has reported such a development so far.
DUBAWA subjected the attached image to a Google Lens reverse image search. Results show that the same image first appeared in October 2024, in a report by popular conflict researcher Zagazola Makama.
According to the report, NAF’s airstrikes targeted Boko Haram fighters in Bula Marwa, Borno State, destroying motorcycles and disrupting planned terrorist operations.
Finally, we scoured the Nigerian Air Force’s official X handle to check if they released a statement on any operation in Kwara State, but found none.
Conclusion
Findings by DUBAWA indicate that the image circulating online does not depict a recent airstrike in Kwara State. It was initially taken from a 2024 airstrike in Borno State.
