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Claim: A Facebook user posted a video claiming it shows bandits preparing to invade the South-East.
Verdict: False. We traced the footage to Sudan, with nothing to indicate any bandit activity in Nigeria.
Full Text
Social media users in Nigeria have been sharing videos and posts linking bandits to attacks or movements in different regions. In January 2026, DUBAWA checked some of these claims and found many to be false, misleading, outdated, or unrelated.
A Facebook user recently shared a video with the claim (archived here) that bandits are preparing to enter the South-Eastern part of Nigeria.
The text over the video read, “Bandits preparing to enter southeast.”
The video attached to the post showed many trucks carrying large numbers of people, some of whom were holding firearms. Other vehicles in the video appeared to be armoured with mounted guns visible at the front.
DUBAWA noticed that the video lacked spoken narration; it featured only instrumental music throughout.
As of Jan. 20, 2025, the claim had 567 likes, 137 comments, 196 shares, and over 2,000 views.
DUBAWA then scrutinised the comments to gain a general sense of respondents’ views.
@Aburo David Olayinka wrote, “The most difficult place for them to enter in Nigeria is Igbo land.”
@Emeka Imo Kingsman commented, “It is time for them to be known more in Nigeria. We will teach them a lesson if they try.”
Casting doubt on the video’s origin, @Tabiya Ibn Yerima stated, “This is not even Nigeria. It is an old video from the Sudan conflict. Why wish such harm on yourselves?”
@Kamiludeen Buraimoh questioned, “Where are the army troops and Air Force personnel during such open-field raids?”
The frequent circulation of false claims about bandits online and the sensitive nature of this claim prompted DUBAWA to verify it.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted reverse image searches with keyframes from the video using InVID to trace its origin.
DUBAWA found a clearer version of the video on TikTok by a user whose name appeared in Arabic, with the Sudanese flag prominently displayed in the footage. The post lacked a detailed caption, and the audio consisted solely of instrumental sounds, offering no context for the activity shown in the video.
However, a visible Arabic text overlaid on the footage translated to “Let’s go.”
Further checks with Yandex reverse image search linked the keyframes to multiple reports and social media posts that featured the same trucks and surroundings. These sources consistently identified the footage as originating from Sudan.
One report linked the visuals to events in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. These regions remain major flashpoints in Sudan due to clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The RSF is a Sudanese paramilitary group that played a central role in the conflict that escalated in 2023, with significant activity reported across Darfur and Kordofan.
Conclusion
DUBAWA found that the video allegedly showing bandits heading toward Nigeria’s South-East is from Sudan. There are no credible news reports supporting a Nigeria-related incident. The claim is, therefore, false.
