Claim: An X user claims that US soldiers captured three bandits in Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s analysis indicates that the video was generated by AI. There is no official record of US soldiers conducting combat operations or capturing bandits in Sokoto State.
Full Text
On Thursday, June 11, 2026, an X user, AJ. (@AJSMILE911), shared a video purportedly showing three men kneeling on the ground in a dry, bushy terrain, surrounded by armed men dressed in US military-style uniforms.
The caption reads, “Just in, three bandits were held captive by American soldiers who are reportedly camped in Sokoto State, Nigeria, and now the bandits are begging for their lives.”
The video archived here stirred mixed reactions.
An X user, teji (@mrteji_), celebrated the purported breakthrough, commenting, “Nice one more please.”
However, others were immediately sceptical of the clip’s authenticity.
Another user, Harm (@harm3t), queried the presence of foreign troops, asking, “When did American soldiers come to Sokoto?”
As of June 11, 2026, the post had attracted 16,000 views, 38 likes, 28 comments, and 14 reposts.
Given the claim’s sensitivity and its potential to spread misinformation about Nigeria’s sovereignty and security partnerships, DUBAWA decided to verify it.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a close frame-by-frame review of the video clip and observed several irregularities that strongly suggest the footage is not authentic.
We noticed the unnatural stillness of the armed men in the background. The detainees’ hand gestures and body proportions also appeared slightly distorted and misaligned.
This prompted DUBAWA to subject the video to AI-detection tools.
Hive AI analysis showed that the clip had been digitally altered, with a 76.8 per cent rating.
We further subjected the video to another AI-detection tool, ISFAKEAI, and the results showed an even higher level of manipulation.
The tool flagged the clip as AI-generated, with an 88 per cent rating for its visuals and a 66.3 per cent rating for its audio. This indicates that both the imagery and the sound were influenced by AI.
DUBAWA also carried out keyword searches for any official announcement or verified news report indicating the presence of US combat troops in Sokoto State. We found no credible news outlet, Defence Headquarters statement, or US Department of Defence press release on such a development.
Recall that the Nigerian Defence Headquarters previously emphasised that US military personnel in Nigeria are not combat forces.
Conclusion
The viral video claiming that American soldiers captured bandits in Sokoto State is not inauthentic. The claim is, therefore, false.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.