A video purportedly showing bandits openly buying food and soft drinks in Kaduna State went viral on Facebook and other social media platforms. The video suggested that armed groups were operating freely despite ongoing security operations.
The footage sparked widespread reactions, with many users expressing concern about the security situation and questioning the authorities’ capacity to address banditry.
However, DUBAWA’s investigation found that the video was not recorded in Kaduna as claimed.
But beyond the question of location lies a more important issue: how misleading security-related content can shape public perception, deepen fear, and reinforce existing tensions in conflict-affected communities.
How the footage surfaced online with a different context
On May 18, 2026, a Facebook page identified as Hausawa shared a video (archived here) showing armed men purchasing food items and soft drinks from a local shop.
The accompanying narration claimed the incident occurred in Kaduna State and suggested that bandits had openly emerged to conduct business without fear of arrest.
As of June 27, 2026, the video had quickly gained traction online, with over 47,000 views, 219 comments, 524 likes, and 201 shares.
A review of comments showed mixed reactions. Some viewers appeared to accept the video’s framing, while others questioned its location or pointed out that it was recorded in Katsina State.
Martins Otareh commented, “Those are celebrities in the northern part of Nigeria”
Yusuf Madami Isa questioned the location, commenting that “this was during the evil peace deal in Katsina, not Kaduna.”
We also found the video on Facebook here, here, here, on YouTube and on Instagram.
DUBAWA first observed multiple clues indicating that the footage was not recorded in Kaduna State. The most notable clue was that voices in the video repeatedly mention Kankara.
Also, some of the people in the footage were taking pictures with the bandits and asking them, “You are one of those people that we have a peace deal with in…?”
One of the bandits in the video answered, “Kankara Local Government,” in Hausa.
So we subjected key frames extracted from the video to reverse image search and local verification. We traced the video to a post by Rana24, a local media outlet from Kankara town.
Another Facebook user, Abdulkadir Yusuf, also shared the video here with a caption that clearly indicates it was in Kankara months before the misleading Kaduna claim.
What really happened?
On a dusty afternoon in Kankara, Katsina State, armed men entered the town following a locally brokered peace initiative. Later that day, some of these men visited a local shop, where a brief encounter on video would resurface months later with a different location and narrative.
It came during a period when local authorities were experimenting with dialogue and peace agreements with some bandit groups in an effort to reduce years of violence that had devastated communities across the North-West.
At the time, the footage attracted attention locally, with many residents trying to understand the circumstances surrounding the unusual encounter.
Recall that Kankara local government gained international attention in December 2020 after more than 300 students were abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara. This incident drew global condemnation and highlighted the growing insecurity in Nigeria’s North-West.
Since then, residents have continued to grapple with attacks on villages, kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling and displacement.
Like several states facing similar security challenges, Katsina has at different times explored both military operations and dialogue with some armed groups in an attempt to reduce violence.
Mannir Idris, a journalist based in Kankara who followed the peace initiative, said the agreement was reached on Monday, Sep. 1, 2025.
The dialogue was facilitated by local government and community authorities rather than the Katsina State Government, which had repeatedly maintained its opposition to negotiating with armed bandits while allowing communities to pursue local initiatives.
DUBAWA located the shop in Kankara (Rufaida Yoghurt & Fura Shop) from the footage and spoke to a staff member there. The staff member, who requested anonymity, citing fear of possible repercussions, confirmed that the incident occurred there and that some items were taken without immediate payment.
“The incident actually happened at our Kankara branch. We have accepted it as our fate,” the staff member told DUBAWA.
The journalist Mannir’s account was consistent with information independently obtained from the staff member at the shop. Mannir told DUBAWA that the peace agreement was reached on a Monday, Sept. 1, 2026, after which some of the bandits entered Kankara town to demonstrate that the agreement had taken effect.
“Many residents who recognised them came out to watch. Some exchanged greetings with those they knew,” he said.
Mannir said he later learnt that the men left without paying, reportedly telling those at the shop they would return the following day to settle the payment because a peace agreement had already been reached.
The following day, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2026, which coincided with Kankara’s market day, Mannir said the armed men again entered the town, this time openly without weapons. However, the peace initiative collapsed about two days after it was announced.
DUBAWA also spoke to people familiar with the incident in Kankara town. Muhammad Mannir, a Kankara resident who was in the town when the armed men arrived, also confirmed that their presence followed the locally brokered peace initiative.
Muhammad told DUBAWA that he was not present at the meeting where the agreement was reached, although his employer attended. He said he later saw some of the armed men after they entered Kankara town.
“I was there when one of them asked for directions to the Rufaida Shop. One of my friends took them there,” Muhammad said.
According to him, residents did not flee when the armed men entered the town. Some exchanged greetings with them because several of the men were known to residents before the escalation of banditry in the area.
Muhammad also identified one of the people visible in the viral footage as his neighbour, further corroborating that the video was recorded in Kankara, not Kaduna State.
He attributed the unusual presence of the armed men in the town to the peace initiative, saying such an open visit would have been unlikely under normal security conditions.
The findings revealed that the footage was recorded in the Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State and contradicted the claim that it showed bandits openly shopping in Kaduna State.
While DUBAWA’s verification established that the footage was recorded in Kankara rather than Kaduna, the impact of the misleading post extended beyond confusion about location.
Beyond the false location
Nura Kasim, a resident of Kaduna, told DUBAWA that the misleading post initially caused panic in his household. He said his wife was the first to come across the video and immediately informed him that bandits were allegedly moving freely around Kaduna.
“I was at work, far from home, when my wife called me after seeing the video. Since the post did not specify the exact location, we became worried and started discussing which route I should take home. I even considered spending the night at my workplace because I wasn’t sure it was safe to move,” Nura said.
He said he later shared the video with a friend, who recognised it as an old recycled clip and explained that it had not been recorded in Kaduna. “That was when I realised the claim was false, and we became relieved,” he added.
Sardauna Bello, another Kaduna resident and one of the Facebook users who commented on the post, told DUBAWA in a chat that he doubted the claim that the footage was recorded in his state. However, the caption’s negative reference to Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi concerned him and prompted him to respond publicly.
“My only concern was that my Sheikh was being blackmailed,” Sardauna told DUBAWA.
Sardauna’s response illustrates how a misleading caption can shape discussion beyond the central falsehood being investigated. Although he questioned the Kaduna claim, the caption’s reference to Gumi prompted him to respond publicly and drew a religious figure into an already sensitive discussion about insecurity.
His reaction occurred within a broader information environment where concern about false and misleading content remains high.
According to the 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report, 58% of respondents in Nigeria identified online influencers and personalities as a source of false or misleading information. This represents one of the highest levels of concern recorded among the countries surveyed.
The potential audience for misleading content is also substantial. DataReportal estimated that Nigeria had 107 million internet users and 38.7 million social-media user identities at the beginning of 2025.
Against this backdrop, experts say miscontextualised security footage can spread rapidly and influence how audiences interpret insecurity, particularly when genuine videos are attached to alarming narratives.
Experts warn against sharing security content without verification
Security expert Yahuza Getso said security-related videos often spread rapidly because people are eager to share information about insecurity without first verifying its authenticity.
“Many people receive information and immediately share it because they believe they are helping others. Unfortunately, some of these materials are rumours or deliberately manipulated, and their rapid circulation can create confusion, panic and misconceptions,” he told DUBAWA.
According to Yahuza, when genuine security footage is presented with false context, it can mislead not only the public but also complicate intelligence gathering and public understanding of security situations.
“Miscontextualised content can confuse policymakers, security agencies, the media and the wider public. That is why every piece of information, especially security-related content, should be verified before it is shared,” he said.
He urged social media users to verify security-related claims through credible sources before reposting them, warning that a single misleading post could reach millions of people within minutes and deepen existing tensions.
Mohammed Babangida, a Senior Reporter at HumAngle Media with expertise in conflict and security reporting, also said recycled conflict videos can significantly distort public understanding of security incidents.
“A recycled security video can give the impression that an attack is happening in real time. It can fuel reprisals, deepen mistrust among communities, and distort people’s understanding of the actual security situation,” Muhammad told DUBAWA.
Muhammad also warned that sharing unverified conflict-related content undermines security efforts.
“Sharing conflict-related content without verifying its source and authenticity misrepresents reality, creates unnecessary panic and fear, and amplifies the propaganda of terrorists and criminals, often without people realising it,” he said.
Conclusion
DUBAWA found that the viral video was recorded in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, not Kaduna State as claimed. The misleading narration attached to the footage changed how many viewers interpreted the incident, demonstrating how genuine content can be repurposed to spread misinformation and deepen public anxiety about insecurity.
“This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.”