Claim: Facebook user, IG Wala, claims residents of Sokoto fled their communities, crossing a river because of banditry.
Verdict: True. DUBAWA’s findings indicate that the video shows residents attempting to flee communities in Eastern Sokoto State following attacks by bandits.
Full Text
On Aug. 4, 2026, a Facebook page, IG Wala, posted a video (archived link) showing people crossing a river, claiming they were residents of communities in Sokoto State fleeing their homes due to banditry.
The video’s caption reads, “This is not a video of people at the beach having fun; these are Nigerian taxpayers abandoned to banditry in the eastern part of Sokoto State. They are leaving their communities and now risking their lives heading to no destination. Haba jama’a.”
As of Aug. 9, 2026, the video had garnered over 12,000 views, 447 shares and 433 comments.
The comments under the posts reflect anger and frustration over insecurity in Northern Nigeria, with some users blaming religious and political leaders for failing to protect residents.
Maxwell M. Tanko commented, “Religious warriors, they can kill for religion but cannot defend themselves. If you make a move to protest against those killing them, they’ll say it’s against their religion.” Another user, Godfrey Agia, wrote, “Hausas, what are you waiting for now that everything is in the open? Why are you people still allowing the Fulanis? If they attack you in the dark, stop them from buying and selling in ur markets and let them stop entering commercial vehicles.”
Nasiru Abubakar also commented, “And the Northern governors don’t care; all they are after is Tinubu’s mandate. Allah ya Isa.”
The video and still images from it were also shared by other Facebook users here, here, here and here.
DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim because the video was circulating widely on Facebook with the claim that it showed residents of Sokoto fleeing their communities because of banditry.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a reverse search of the video and discovered that it was also posted on the Instagram page Northern Trend and the Facebook page Nasarawa Daily News. Both posts carried a similar narrative: residents of communities in Sokoto State were fleeing after attacks.
The six-minute, 29-second video was posted on YMB Hausa TV on Aug. 7, 2026
DUBAWA also found reports by PUNCH, Vanguard, SaharaReporters, The Whistler, Daily Trust and PM News Nigeria about communities in Sokoto State being deserted following attacks by bandits. These reports were published between Aug. 4 and Aug. 6, 2026.
A PUNCH report provided further details about the incident, stating that the violence triggered another tragedy as villagers attempted to escape across a river after receiving reports that attackers were approaching.
According to the report, eyewitnesses said overloaded boats carrying fleeing families capsized, throwing about 25 people, mostly women and children, into the water. While seven people were rescued, at least 18 others were still missing.
This account corroborates the narrative attached to the viral video that residents were attempting to flee their communities by crossing a river following reports of attacks.
To establish what was said in the video, DUBAWA contacted Muhammad Muazu, a journalist who speaks Hausa and works at Albarka Radio in Bauchi.
Muhammad confirmed that the language and accent in the video are consistent with those spoken in Sokoto, Kebbi, or Zamfara.
According to his translation, one of the people speaking in the video could be heard saying,
“Hello Babangida, where are you? I’m here, but I can’t see you. Have you crossed the river already, or are you still on the other side? Are you over there on that riverbank? I’m looking for someone with a boat so I can cross the river.”
The translation indicates that the people in the video were discussing crossing the river and finding a boat to reach the other side.
DUBAWA’s findings are consistent with independent media reports documenting the displacement of residents from communities in Eastern Sokoto State following attacks by bandits.
Conclusion
The claim is true. DUBAWA found independent reports published around the same period confirming that villagers in Eastern Sokoto State were fleeing their communities following attacks by bandits.