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Claim: An X user posted a video claiming it shows a recent attack by ‘IPOB terrorists’ in Nimbo Community, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Verdict: False. The video is not recent and does not depict an attack in Enugu State by IPOB terrorists. Instead, it shows an attack on a community in Benue State in March 2024.
Full Text
Following the June 27, 2021, arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the South-East region of Nigeria has seen increased security concerns. These range from the declaration of a weekly Monday sit-at-home order by a faction of the group in protest for his release to attacks and killings, especially targeting security personnel and, in some cases, innocent civilians. IPOB is a secessionist group advocating for the separation of the South-East region of Nigeria from the country.
Meanwhile, on August 27, 2024, an X account, Loud Speaker (@Mayiegunofmala1), posted a video showing several corpses lying on the ground in what appears to be a remote community. The post claimed the footage was evidence of a recent attack by IPOB terrorists in Nimbo Community, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The post, captioned, “12 people have been said to have been killed on Sunday night and many wounded as Ipob terrorists invaded Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State. Igboland is not safe anymore.” quickly gained traction, garnering over 186 reposts and more than 78,000 views.
Given the video’s circulation and the claim of its connection to recent events, DUBAWA decided to investigate its authenticity. This fact-check was prompted after noticing that the same video had previously been circulated with a different claim, alleging it showed violence in Congo. The original claim (now deleted), posted by another X user, Zoom Afrika (@zoomafrika1), stated: “Ooh No, Congo is bleeding.”
Verification
Is this video from Enugu as claimed?
DUBAWA subjected keyframes from the video to a Google Reverse Image search. The results revealed that the video had been online since March 8, 2024.
Earlier versions of the video (here and here) confirmed that it depicted an attack by gunmen on a Benue community in North Central Nigeria, entirely unrelated to Enugu State.
Further social media analysis indicated that while the video gained renewed attention recently, it was not connected to Enugu State or any recent attack by IPOB terrorists. Social media users provided context, countering the misleading claim by referencing the original incident in Benue.
One notable response came from Kator #EndSARS (@katorinyon), an X user who identified as a resident of the village attacked in Benue State. In his response to Zoom Afrika’s claim, he clarified:
“This happened in my village, Mbaikyor Benue, not in Congo. You can clearly hear them speaking Tiv, the language of MiddleBelt Nigeria.
More information on the video
Fulani herdsmen attacked at night, killing over 17 persons, including a baby boy and a 90-year-old immobile family head. My very cousin, Ahoo, survived the attack after they pursued him into the bush, shooting sporadically at him.”
The user also mentioned that the incident occurred in March 2024, corroborating the timeline established by other fact-checking efforts.
A keyword search of the village “Mbaikyor” led to reports by credible media platforms (here, and here) revealing that on the same date, suspected gunmen killed 17 to 18 people during an attack on Wandoo Mbaikyor community in Gwer LGA of Benue State. The gunmen also razed many houses, huts, farmlands and food barns in 11 settlements during the attack.
To further verify the claim regarding a recent attack by IPOB terrorists in Enugu, DUBAWA conducted a keyword search on “Nimbo,” the said community. The search yielded no credible reports linking IPOB to any recent attack in Nimbo. The latest reported attack in the community, dated April 29, 2024, claimed four lives, significantly fewer than the 12 deaths falsely claimed in the post.
Conclusion
The video posted by Loud Speaker (@Mayiegunofmala1) is not a recent depiction of an attack by IPOB terrorists in Nimbo Community, Enugu State. Instead, it is footage from an earlier attack in Benue State in March 2024. The claim is, therefore, false and misleading.
The researcher produced this fact-check as part of the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, which is in partnership with Bridge Radio 98.7FM, Asaba, to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
