Is viral video showing Nigerians being deported from US true?

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Claim: A Facebook user shared a video with the claim that Nigerians are being deported from the US following President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

Verdict: False. The video is a compilation of unrelated clips. Some predate Trump’s executive orders, while others have no connection to deportations from the U.S.

Full Text

The recent executive order mandating the deportation of immigrants has raised intense debate, dividing opinions across political lines and communities. For many, the move came without ample warning, leaving families and individuals scrambling to adjust their lives and secure their futures. 

Critics argue that the decision was rushed, denying immigrants—especially those who have lived and contributed to society for years—the time needed to prepare for such a monumental change. Among immigrant communities, the fear of separation, uncertainty, and loss of livelihood is palpable.

Amidst this, a Facebook user, @Queensley Purity Edoja, shared a 1-minute, 24-second video claiming that the people shown in the footage are Nigerians who were caught and deported back to Nigeria. Attached is a voiceover of a man providing details about the video. 

He is heard saying, “If not for the bad leaders we have in Africa, particularly Nigeria, what will make people travel to America or any other country? See the way Donald Trump is deporting everybody like the US is heaven.” 

The footage, which was shared on Feb. 1, 2025, has over 114,000 views, 901 shares, 367 likes, and 27 comments as of Feb. 18, 2025.

The clip raised suspicions as it appeared to be a compilation of four different scenes edited together. In the first scene, a shirtless man, who appears tense, is forcibly taken by police officers who handcuff him. He speaks, but his words are inaudible as the voiceover dominates the audio. 

The second scene shows two officers chasing a man in an attempt to arrest him. The third clip depicts hundreds of people queuing on a tarmac to board large planes—suggesting a mass deportation. The final scene features close-ups of handcuffed men and women boarding a cargo plane. 

Due to its virality and sensitivity, DUBAWA decided to investigate the claim.

Verification

Using Google Lens to conduct reverse image searches on the video, DUBAWA traced the four clips to their sources. The first clip was linked to a longer, higher-quality version published by a Facebook account on Jan. 4, 2024—well before Trump signed the executive orders.

In the footage, police officers are seen handcuffing a young, shirtless Nigerian who identifies himself as Philip Alafe, standing in front of Toronto General Hospital in Canada. Further research by DUBAWA revealed that Philip Alafe was arrested in 2015 for alleged dangerous driving. He later sued the Ontario police, claiming they deprived him of medical care by confiscating his medication and leaving him naked in a jail cell overnight.

The second clip was traced to an Instagram post from Aug. 17, 2024, several months before the U.S. elections, which proves it has no connection to the claim.

For the third clip, a screenshot was taken and analysed using Hive.ai, which confirmed that the image was AI-generated.

The fourth and final clip depicts a deportation scene. We traced it back to a video published on Jan. 28, 2025, by WYKC, an NBC-affiliated station in Ohio.

According to the broadcaster’s caption, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) released footage showing what it described as “a group of illegal aliens” being loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Bliss, Texas, on Jan. 23, 2025, for a deportation flight.

The caption further stated that nearly 1,200 people were arrested in a single day on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, as immigration enforcement operations continued in various U.S. cities.

DUBAWA also found another news report that shared clips from this scene confirming the individuals on this flight were Guatemalans.

Conclusion 

The video is a deceptive combination of unrelated clips to push a false narrative. Investigation reveals no evidence of Nigerians being deported, as the footage claims.