Claim: A Facebook user, Chiafa Odi, posted a video claiming that the footage shows a recent attack on members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Verdict: Misleading. The video dates back to 2017 and was previously described as false by the then Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
Full Text
A Facebook user, Chiafa Odi, on July 21, 2026, posted a video (archived link here) claiming that it shows an attack on people in the South-East, depicting the alleged atrocities committed against the people of the region.
The post was accompanied by a lengthy caption which reads,
“It happened to our people; how can we forgive them? No forgiveness till eternity. All we asked for was freedom, Biafra, Biafra, Biafra. Our people are being tormented day in day out, our houses are being burnt down, our people are in jail, some have been killed and buried in shallow graves…”
As of July 25, 2026, the post had garnered over 98,000 views, 2,000 likes, and 279 comments.
The comments on the post largely expressed anger and condemnation over the alleged incident, with some users accusing the military of atrocities against people in the South-East.
Engr Immanuel C Elom said, “Same terrorists in uniforms that are calling on our youths to come and join them.”
Nwaoko Alwell said, “This is what gave rise to gentle the yahoo; he is possessed with the spirit of revenge.”
Livinus Ofili said, “Biafrans will never give up until Biafra comes. God bless Mazi Kanu. Long live Ekpa.”
Innocent Chima said, “Still fresh in my memory. Some people ignorantly accused IPOB of violence and terrorism. I still remember before this incident and subsequent cruelty unleashed by the military and the state, IPOB was a peaceful movement. It’s very unfortunate.”
The video was also reshared here, here, here, and here.
DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim because the video had attracted significant engagement, and the claim has the potential to inflame tensions and reinforce existing narratives about military atrocities and violence in the South-East.
Verification
DUBAWA took a screenshot from the video and conducted a Google reverse image search. The search established that the footage has circulated online since 2017.
Major Nigerian media outlets, including Channels TV, Premium Times, The Cable and Nuesroom, published stills and reports on the video in 2017.
The Nigerian Army, through the then Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Sagir Musa, issued a press statement confirming it was investigating the incident, which reportedly showed armed personnel humiliating civilians believed to be IPOB supporters at a checkpoint in Abia State.
In the same period, the then Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, publicly accused IPOB of circulating “fake videos” to create the false impression that the military was killing its members during operations in the South-East.
No evidence links the 2017 footage to any recent military action in the region.
Conclusion
The video does not depict a recent military atrocity in South-East Nigeria. It is old footage from 2017 that was already investigated and publicly discussed at the time.