Unrelated image used to claim capture of attackers in Abia 

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Rejoice Taddy

Claim: A Facebook post claimed that Abia youths captured over 30 armed Fulani attackers in a forest, with an image showing people tied up on the ground.

Verdict: Misleading. The image is from the kidnapping of Reverend Edwin Achi and his family in Kaduna, not an incident involving Abia youths.

Full Text

Since President Donald Trump’s statement on the state of security in Nigeria, social media platforms have taken to sharing diverse claims about kidnapping, attacks and conflicts in the country. One of such claims was shared by a Facebook user,  @Teda vibes, who alleged that youth in Abia state captured over 30 armed Fulani Jihadists inside a forest. 

The full caption attached to the post reads,

“The attackers were found with AK-47 rifles, explosives, and heavy bomb materials. Shockingly, the Abia youths with no guns, no sophisticated weapons, chased them down, overpowered them, and seized all their weapons. According to eyewitnesses, the moment the youths mobilised, the attackers panicked.”

The post also showed people tied up and seated on the ground with their eyes closed. 

The claimant noted that the youth remained confident after the encounter, insisting that they did not need guns to defend their land and that their spirit and unity were more potent than the bullets of the attackers. It added that anyone who enters the Abia forest to terrorise residents would face the same resistance. 

The post also urged people to stay alert, share the information, and avoid travelling late at night, warning that the days are evil.

As of Dec. 6, 2025, when the post was last seen, it had 58 likes, 33 comments, and 14 shares.  

We reviewed the comments to gauge respondents’ thoughts.

@Rekiya Peter, in disbelief, said, “But these are not bandits; they are kidnapped victims. The man on the left, wearing red, died yesterday. They collect ransom and still kill him.”

@Sunday Oluka questioned, with concern, “I thought by now they would be dead and their bodies shown to the public, just like it happened in Rivers State. Please, don’t hand them over to the Nigerian Police, else they will be freed and transported comfortably back to Sambisa Forest.”

@Powell Ewele  noted, with a hint of scepticism, “Instead of showing them, they don’t have a good reputation, and they can even be freed from the police or army.”

@Ojerinde Adetola expressed frustration, “I don’t like this kind of story, please. It’s annoying. Do better, don’t just show us or tell us they’re captured, tell us something sweeter, please.”

@Uma Precious Williams asked, “So are you guys going to let them go scot-free? Or is this just a cooked-up story?”

DUBAWA also found the same claim shared by other Facebook users here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Due to the security situation in Nigeria, we decided to verify the claim.

Verification

DUBAWA began by searching the attached image with Google Lens on Facebook. The search results led to several posts referencing the abduction of a man named Edwin Achi.

According to one news report, Edwin Achi was the Priest in charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church in Ungwan Maijero, Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State. He hailed from Umuaja in Delta State’s Ukwuani Local Government Area. 

On the night of Oct. 8, 2025, armed bandits stormed his residence in Nissi village, abducting him together with his wife and daughter. The kidnappers reportedly demanded a ransom of ₦600 million.

Approximately a month later, on Nov. 27, 2025, the Diocese of Kaduna officially announced that Reverend Achi had died while in captivity. The announcement described his death as “a painful loss,” and the church also cancelled the “Stand Up for Jesus 2025” event in his honour. Reports confirm that his wife and daughter, who were abducted with him, remain in captivity.

On the other hand, DUBAWA searched to confirm whether there had been an incident where Abia youths apprehended armed bandits. We found no credible reports to support this story. All available online sources are limited to Facebook posts shared by social media users.

To further verify, DUBAWA spoke with Maureen Chinaka, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Abia State. She told DUBAWA that the police have no record of such an occurrence and explained that it is not the first time they have seen people create false stories about security progress and share them online.

“We are security operatives, and I believe that having an incident like this happen in this city is something we should know by now. Of course, there is a possibility that agile youths can trace dangerous groups, but this has not happened. ”

Conclusion 

The result of DUBAWA’s findings proves that the image used to claim the apprehension of bandits by youth in Abia is actually from the kidnapping of a priest in Kaduna. The claim is, therefore, misleading.