Claim: An X user shared an image purportedly showing abducted students in Kebbi State.
Verdict: Misleading! Research results show the image dates back to 2021, so it is not linked to the recent incident as claimed.
Full Text
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, 25 abducted students of Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) Maga, Kebbi State, were released after spending several days in captivity.
Following their release, an X user @Ishaqsamaila5, on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, shared two images showing school students in captivity with bandits and claimed it was taken during the abduction of Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Kebbi State.
The X user caption reads, “For the first time, a photo of the school students abducted by armed bandits in Kebbi State has appeared in the media.”
As of Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, the post had generated over 98,200 views, 690 likes, 240 reposts, 70 quotes, and bookmarks.
In the comment section, some users believed the post’s assertion, while others doubted its authenticity.
“It is very disheartening to see this type of picture. Nigeria is a failed state,” @DavidGodsHeart asserted.
Another user, @UcheMaryOkoli, wrote, “Only God knows what they have done to those children.”
“We hope so, but fake photos,” @Hussaini-bena stated.
Given the security situation in Nigeria and the need to set the record straight, DUBAWA decided to carry out this investigation.
Verification
DUBAWA subjected the image to Google reverse image search and found similar photos shared on Facebook in June 2021, as seen here, here, and here.
The Facebook posts claimed that the images were taken during the abduction of school students from Federal Government College, Birin Yauri, Kebbi State, in 2021.
Meanwhile, a keyword search led us to a publication by TheNation on Oct. 21, 2025, reporting the release of 28 abducted students and three teachers from Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State.
Channels Television also reported a similar story, adding that the security operatives are working to secure the release of other abducted students.
Meanwhile, HumAngle, TheCable, and TheNiche also reported similar incidents in 2021.
Conclusion
DUBAWA discovered that the image shared on X has been online since 2021, so it is not related to the recent abduction of school students in Kebbi State. Therefore, the picture is misleading.