|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Claim: An X user shared a video allegedly showing a settlement belonging to the Fulani community being burnt, claiming that Nigerians have declared war against Fulani terrorists.
Verdict: False. The video does not depict citizens attacking or burning a Fulani terrorist camp. Visual verification showed that the footage circulated online in May 2026 after a Nigerian Air Force airstrike on the Tumfa weekly market in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Full Text
On Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, an X user VOLTOX (@VOLTOXf) shared a 14-second video showing several structures burning in an open area. While people could be seen fleeing the scene, others appeared to be trying to put out the fire.
The post (archived here) was accompanied by a caption saying, “Indigenous Nigerians have declared a fierce war against Fulani terrorists,” adding that the supposed attackers were determined to confront terrorism and defend their communities.
The caption further stated that “terrorists should have no haven, no protection, and no place to hide,” and called for them to face the full weight of the law.
The video’s audio track captured a distressed bystander reciting standard Islamic supplications invoked during times of trauma and mourning, including “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” (Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we shall return) and “Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakil” (Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs).
As of Sept. 2, 2026, the post had attracted 52,000 views, 685 likes, 380 reposts and 48 comments, indicating substantial circulation on the platform.
The post incited ethnically charged commentary.
One user, Mr Ibe (@MrIbeOnwuanaibe), described the alleged attack as “long overdue” and called on other affected communities to adopt the same approach.
Another commenter, Peter Omigie (@PeterOmigie4), made derogatory generalisations against Fulani people, accusing them collectively of violence and displacement.
Because misrepresenting conflict imagery with incendiary ethnic framing poses a serious risk of inciting communal violence and reprisal attacks, DUBAWA investigated the claim.
Verification
To verify the claim, DUBAWA first conducted a Google search using distinctive keywords from the X post’s caption, including references to “Fulani terrorists” and the alleged declaration of war. The search did not produce credible reports confirming that an indigenous group had recently attacked and burnt a Fulani settlement as described in the post.
DUBAWA also searched the verified Facebook account of the Nigeria Police Force for reports or statements relating to the alleged attack. No credible police report confirming such an incident was found as of the time of verification.
Keyframes extracted from the 14-second clip and analysed via Google Lens revealed that the footage is not recent. It first surfaced online in May 2026.
The video appeared across several social media accounts months earlier, including posts by Instagram user abujarocks on May 13, 2026, and verified Facebook user Chike Jnr Okongwu on May 17, 2026. The same footage was also found in other social-media posts published (here, here and here) around the same period.
The accounts linked the footage to the aftermath of a Nigerian military airstrike that struck the Tumfa weekly market in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. However, no major news organisation reshared the video with the same narrative.
What Happened in Tumfa?
The airstrike reportedly occurred on Sunday, May 10, 2026, when military aircraft dropped munitions on the crowded local market.
Reuters reported on May 12, 2026, that Amnesty International said at least 100 civilians, predominantly women and young girls engaged in trade, were killed in the incident, with dozens evacuated to hospitals in Zurmi, Shinkafi, and Gusau.
In a TheCable report, local leaders and emergency agencies cited by AFP gave varying death tolls of at least 72 fatalities.
But the Defence Headquarters stated that the operation was an intelligence-led precision strike that targeted a convergence of armed bandits within the Zurmi–Shinkafi corridor, disputing claims of civilian casualties while opening inquiries into collateral impact.
Conclusion
The claim that the video depicts indigenous Nigerians burning down a settlement belonging to Fulani terrorists is false. The video is recycled footage supposedly documenting the aftermath of the May 2026 military airstrike on the Tumfa weekly market in Zurmi LGA, Zamfara State.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.