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Claim: X user shares a video claiming that terrorists have taken over Ondo, forcing residents to flee their homes.
Verdict: Misleading! The video depicts residents fleeing their homes after a recent communal clash in Ilobu, Osun State. It has nothing to do with the attack in Ondo State.
Full Text
Nigeria is a diverse country with over 250 ethnic groups with distinct cultures, languages, and traditions. While this diversity can be a source of strength and richness, it has also been a source of tension and conflict.
The Voice of Igbos on X posted a video showing many people fleeing their homes. In the video, many people can be seen trekking with loads on their heads.
The 48-second video’s caption reads, “So Ondo is now occupied by terrorists, people are leaving their homes, and Yoruba conservatives are quiet. People that can’t secure and manage their small villages, how on earth do you expect them to handle Nigeria Affairs?” This post has sparked discussion among social media users.
In the comment section, Bobmanuel C. Echeonwu (@BobEcheonwu), perplexed, wrote,
“Is this not a war situation? What is the Nigerian state waiting for to declare war on these marauding aliens? Do we still have a country like this?”
Another user, Agbo Maduabuchi (@agboohaka2277), believed the claim and responded, “Yorubas will never be at peace because they’re the ones creating problems here and there.”
As of March 23, 2025, the post had gone viral, amassing 37,700 views, 535 reposts, 919 likes, and 51 bookmarks.
DUBAWA chose to fact-check the video due to its virality and potential to spread misinformation and incite ethnic wars.
Verification
In the circulating video, a man speaking in Yoruba shouts, “Ilobu ti tán o! Ilobu ti tán o! Háà! Kílódé? Ẹṣàánú wà ní’lobu. Ṣé ẹ fẹ́ pa wá tán ní’Ilobu ni?”
When translated, it means, “Ilobu is finished! Ilobu is finished! Háà! What’s the matter?! Have mercy on us in Ilobu. Do you want to kill us all in Ilobu?!”
Ilobu is a town and the Irepodun Local Government Area administrative headquarters of Osun State. It is bordered on the north by Ifon-Osun, on the south by Osogbo, on the east by Oba, and the west by Erin-Osun. Apart from Osun State, DUBAWA did not find Ilobu anywhere in Ondo.
Two unsettling events occurred in the Southwest in March 2025. The first, reported on the 16th, was a Fulani herdsmen attack on Ondo State farmers, which led to a protest. The second event was a communal clash between the Ilobu and Ifon communities in Osun State, reported on the 21st.
While different protest videos had been shared on X immediately after the Fulani herdsmen attack, social media users like @Voice of Igbos took the footage from the Osun communal clash, tweaked the narrative, and posted it as though it was related to the Ondo State occurrence.
We found several other users who posted this video to depict the event as it truly happened in Osun State. You can find them here and here.
Conclusion
Our findings revealed that the video emanated from a communal clash at Ilobu in Osun, not Ondo State, as depicted. Therefore, the video is misleading.
