Old counter-terror operation wrongly framed as recent Nigerian strike  

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Simbiat Bakare

Claim: An Instagram user shared a video claiming it shows the Nigerian Army neutralising dozens of terrorists in the Northeast. 

Verdict: Misleading. While the video is authentic and originates from the Nigerian Army, it does not depict a recent operation as implied in the post. The footage was first published in March 2026.

Full Text

An Instagram user, @Stree Barrister, shared a video (archived here) claiming that it showed how the Nigerian Army neutralised dozens of terrorists, together with recovered rifles, ammunition and other weapons seized during operations in the Northeast.

The post’s caption reads, “Nigerian Army parades war trophies as gallant troops intensify their military campaign against terrorists in Northern Nigeria. Fresh footage shows dozens of neutralised terrorists alongside a massive cache of recovered rifles, ammunition, and other weapons seized during operations in the Northeast.”

DUBAWA watched the video and saw a group of men lying on the floor as though they were lifeless. Not far from them were various arms and ammunition arranged on the floor. Some men in uniform walked around the scene and conversed with one another. 

As of June 12, 2026, the post had over 10,000 likes, 855 comments, and 100,000 views.

DUBAWA reviewed the comments to gauge users’ views on the claim.

@Cruzlife, for instance, wrote, “Are those the bandits, innocent civilians or paid actors. I need to know abeg.”

@Barrak Oburna, who believed, said, “God bless the good Nigerian army.”

@Derok 520 pleased with the piece of information, added, “ Yes, keep showing the evidence. That’s what we want to see.”

Other users, like @Adisatch222, who disagreed with the claim, said, “There is no way I will believe this.”

The same claim was shared by other users, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

DUBAWA decided to verify the claim because it raised a sensitive security issue and prompted questions about the footage’s authenticity and context. 

Verification 

DUBAWA submitted the video to InVID, which broke it into key frames. We then ran each frame through a reverse image search, which led to multiple posts from other social media users who shared the same claim. However, we were unable to find any credible report associated with the images at hand.

We then used the video’s caption to search for any announcement of the incident on the Nigerian Army’s official social media handles. We first searched its Instagram account, where we found a clearer version of the video recorded from a different angle. The footage showed the neutralised terrorists lying side by side, alongside weapons and other items placed not too far from them.

Matching scenes from the viral video (left) and the Nigerian Army’s footage (right). 

DUBAWA also checked the Nigerian Army’s X account, where we found a similar video showing additional angles that closely resembled the footage shared by other social media users.

The caption attached to the X post reads, “In the early hours of Wednesday, 18 March 2026, at about 12:50 a.m., I saw terrorists suspected to be members of Boko Haram/ISWAP advancing from the Duguri general area on foot, supported by multiple armed drones, in a bid to breach the 68 Battalion Main Defensive Area. However, their movement was swiftly detected by vigilant troops who responded with overwhelming firepower.”

This detail was significant to our verification because it contradicted the impression of recency created by the social media posts, which suggested the incident occurred in May 2026. In reality, the Nigerian Army had already shared the video in March 2026.

In addition, DUBAWA used keywords from the Nigerian Army’s social media post to search for independent reports on the operation. This led to reports by NTA News, Punch Newspapers, The Nation Newspaper, and Insight Africa, which reported the incident between March 18 and 19, 2026, not May.

While the footage is authentic, its circulation without the correct date can give people the wrong impression about when the operation took place. As a result, the public may believe it reflects a recent development, even though it does not.

Conclusion

Available evidence shows that the video has been misrepresented in circulation. Although it is genuine military footage, its reuse without proper context leads to a misleading narrative about when the operation occurred.