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Claim: A Facebook user shared a photograph allegedly showing the wives and children of bandits abandoned during a security raid in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State.
Verdict: Misleading. The women shown in the photograph are victims, not the wives, family members, or accomplices of fleeing bandits.
Full Text
On Sept. 16, 2026, a Facebook user, Abdulaziz Dawet, shared a photograph of three women (archived here), claiming it shows wives and family members of bandits abandoned during a security raid in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State.
Part of the caption reads, “In Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, during a raid on bandits’ camp, reports say that Fulani bandits fled, leaving behind their wives and children alongside MP3 players, phones, and an AK47 rifle. Some are saying the wives and families are also victims; I honestly don’t understand this line of argument.”
The Facebook user’s claim, which accompanied the photo, has since attracted widespread reactions.
As of Sept. 17, 2026, the post had accumulated 327 likes, 141 comments, and 34 shares.
Other Facebook users supported the claimant by directly criminalising the women.
One user, Martins Otareh, alleged that “their wives and them are into the same business; their wives are the ones in charge of logistics.”
“Why cover their faces? They’re also part of the game,” Favour Maiki wrote.
“The wives are in support 100percent,” Philips Igbede stated.
Due to the severity of the claim, DUBAWA decided to verify it.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a Google Reverse Image Search on the photograph, which linked us to similar versions shared by Katsina City News and an X user, Bakatsine (@DanKatsina50).
Both posts reported the successful rescue of abducted women following an encounter between police operatives and bandits in Katsina State.
Following that lead, DUBAWA further ran related keyword searches that linked us to reports published by Punch and Channels Television. Both reports confirmed that operatives of the Katsina State Police Command repelled an attack in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area, successfully rescuing three abducted women and a baby on Sept. 16, 2026.
To trace the photograph’s official source and verify the identities of the rescued persons, DUBAWA reviewed the Katsina State Police Command’s official social media handle.
In a press release issued on Sept. 17, 2026, the Katsina State Police Command noted that officers at the Dutsin-Ma Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call regarding an armed raid on Makwanta village, where bandits had abducted three female residents.
After tracking and engaging the bandits in a gun duel, the command confirmed the rescue of all four victims unhurt, identifying them as 14-year-old Marawiya Musa, 50-year-old Mariya Ibrahim, 21-year-old Amina Ibrahim, and an infant.
“Officers also recovered an AK-47 rifle loaded with five rounds of ammunition, a Tecno mobile phone, three MP3 music players, a knife, and wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp,” the statement added.
DUBAWA observed that the photograph posted by the claimant showed the women seated, while the official photograph released by the police showed them standing. A visual comparison of physical features, fabric patterns, and clothing confirmed that both photographs depict the same individuals.
Photo collage of the images
Differences in angle and image clarity indicate the scene was captured by different cameras or smartphones used during the debriefing.
Conclusion
The claim is misleading. The Katsina State Police Command identified the women shown in the Facebook post as kidnapping victims, not wives or family members of the fleeing bandits.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.