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Claim: A Facebook user shared some images of Nigerian soldiers with civilian casualties and claimed they were bandits.
Verdict: Misleading. The image does not show soldiers capturing bandits in Niger State. It shows Nigerian Army troops rescuing 22 kidnapped victims on Sept. 15, 2026.
Full Text
On Sept. 19, 2026, a Facebook user, Nigerian Armed Forces & Military News, shared some pictures (archived) of Nigerian soldiers with some civilian casualties and claimed the casualties were suspected bandits that the soldiers captured.
The caption reads, “GOOD NEWS. Nigerian soldiers have successfully captured some suspected bandits in Niger State. Another step toward restoring peace and security in our communities. Our troops are out there putting themselves in harm’s way to protect Nigerians. God bless the Nigerian Army.”
As of Sept. 19, 2026, the claim had attracted 21 comments, 326 reactions and 16 shares.
An X user, The Crusader (@Armylucifer001), shared the image earlier with the same caption on Sept. 17, 2026 (archived here).
Commenters on the post had differing opinions. Among them is one user, Mr Xrool (@XROOLCOLLECTION), who wrote, “May God continue to expose them and bring them down to our feet.”
D=Glinton (@XomzyTW) commented, “What’s stopping the NA and the FG from creating a massive military training centre in Sambisa?”
“Why is the bandit afraid?” a verified X user, Aaré (@Aare_AlfLaposh), asked.
Because of the claim’s virality and mixed reactions in the comments, DUBAWA verified it.
Verification
When DUBAWA subjected the images to Google Reverse Image Search, results showed that it was a rescue mission conducted by the military in Rafi LGA of Niger State, where 22 kidnapped victims were freed.
On Sept. 16, 2026, the Nigerian Army reported that 22 kidnapped victims were rescued in Muchiya village, Rafi Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State after acting on credible intelligence on the convergence of terrorists.
The statement added that one of the victims, Alhaji Hassan, sustained injuries while in captivity and has been taken to a clinic for treatment.
DUBAWA further reviewed the statement of Adebayo Adewumi, the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, but he did not mention that any suspect was captured during the raid in the village.
The images were also used by several newspapers, including The Punch, Premium Times, and Peoples Gazette, reporting the rescue of the kidnapped victims in the state.
Leadership, Sahara Reporters, Arewa Agenda, and PRNigeria also reported the incident.
We also conducted a keyword search for soldiers capturing suspected bandits in the state, but found nothing.
Conclusion
The image does not show soldiers capturing bandits in Niger State, as claimed. Available evidence shows that the image depicts Nigerian Army troops rescuing kidnapped victims in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.