Claim: A Facebook user, Hausaland Magazine, claims that a video shows a TikTok live stream of Fulani bandits setting villages on fire and killing innocent Hausa people in Katsina State.
Verdict: Insufficient Evidence. There is no verified evidence that the video shows Fulani bandits live-streaming an attack in Katsina State. The footage lacks a confirmed location, the claims are inconsistent, and no official authority has confirmed the alleged incident.
Full Text
On July 29, 2026, a Facebook user, Hausaland Magazine, posted a video (archived here), claiming it is a live-streamed attack on TikTok by Fulani terrorists burning villages and killing innocent Hausa civilians in Katsina State.
The caption of the post reads, “Fulani terrorist militia are live-streaming on TikTok as they burn villages and murder innocent Hausa civilians in Northwest Nigeria (Katsina). This is pure terrorism and ethnic genocide. This is a crime against humanity. We call on the international community, Hausa youth, Hausa elders, and the Nigerian presidency to act NOW. Silence is costing innocent lives.”
The footage shows a group of young men on motorcycles, while some alight and walk with distant smoke in the background.
As of Aug. 5, 2026, the video had gained 3,400 views, 105 shares, 84 likes, and 36 comments
Reacting to the claim, one Facebook user, Moussa TK, wrote, “Hausa people, prepare your weapons and protect yourselves from these cursed Fulani people.”
Another user, Raphael Nwokobia, commented, “Why are Fulani terrorists doing this? Hausa sacrificed everything to accommodate them. What they did for their generosity is genocide against Hausa people.”
We also found the claim on X and Facebook. DUBAWA decided to investigate this claim due to the heightened security threats, its virality and impact on public perception.
Verification
We used the InVID verification tool to extract keyframes from the footage and then conducted reverse image searches.
The searches led to a similar video posted by Ohamadike TV on Facebook on July 28, 2026, with the caption, “This bandit kingpin and TikToker, Suka, has posted a video of his group burning a village.”
We found the same video shared by an X user @secmxx on July 28, 2026, with a caption that reads, “Bandits TikToker Suka has posted a video of his group burning a village yesterday. The video appears to be weeks old because the vegetation looks like it was before the rains…… The Arewa security analyst community has done very well in monitoring the region’s hot zones… The bigger picture now is security entrepreneurs creating security service providers to close the gaps…”
We first observed that the different posts contain inconsistencies. An earlier version of the claim stated that the alleged incident occurred in Katsina, although it did not specify the exact location. However, the posts shared on X and Facebook did not mention Katsina or identify any location where the alleged incident occurred.
Recent reports by Daily Times on July 31, 2026, and PM News on Aug. 3, 2026, document separate attacks in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, including the displacement of over 5,000 residents and assault in the Shuwaki community. These reports identify the locations of the incidents, unlike the viral posts, which do not specify where the alleged attack occurred.
A keyword search was conducted for any official report or press release from the Katsina State Police Command regarding the claim of an attack, but none was found. A review of the official Katsina State Government social media handles and the Katsina State Police Command’s official communication channels also yielded no report matching the claim.
We also spoke to some residents of Katsina if they were aware of such a development. Amina Musa, a resident of Katsina, Katsina State, said, “Although Katsina State has witnessed a series of bandit attacks across communities in recent times, none has shown the bandits setting a village aflame.”
A keyword search on TikTok conversations related to the claim yielded no relevant results. Instead, discussions were largely centred on the livestreaming of bandits flaunting ransom proceeds.
Conclusion
We could not verify the footage presented as evidence of a live attack in Katsina State. Although Katsina has experienced recent bandit attacks, there is no credible evidence linking the viral video to any such incidents.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.