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Video showing civilian massacre in Nigeria, false 

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Claim: An X user, Mahdi Shehu, posted a video alleging that genocide is currently ongoing in Nigeria. 

Video showing civilian massacre in Nigeria, false 

Full Text 

For years, Nigeria has been plagued by activities of bandits, who have killed and displaced tens of thousands of locals in the country.

On Aug. 31, 2024, an X user named Mahdi Shehu uploaded a video showing gory scenes of civilians shot and killed by unidentified gunmen, some of whom were still pursuing and shooting unarmed civilians. 

According to his claim, a genocide is currently underway in Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria, just two days after bandits killed a traditional ruler from the state. 

The claimant added that about 150 civilians were killed in the attack. “Pure genocide as Tinubu enjoys in France and China. After the murder of the Emir of Gobir in Sokoto state,  the bandits went back two days after and executed 150 peasants,” parts of the captain attached to the viral video read. 

As a country with such a long history of bandit violence, it appears that several users on the social media application believed it. When this report was being compiled, the video generated 290,000 views, 506 comments, 270 likes, and 108 bookmarks. 

An X user, @SuperSelimEli said, “God have mercy. What’s this na?” 

Reacting, @Enythn wrote: “This is horrible.” 

Contributing to the discussion, @Emekanws said: “Am appalled by the sight [I] am seeing. How long would this last? Who brought this mess on us?”

DUBAWA decided to investigate the post due to the public interest it has elicited and likely national security implications 

Verification 

To determine the clip’s veracity, DUBAWA extracted keyframes from it and conducted an analysis using Google Lens. The results suggested that the video originally originated in Burkina Faso. 

We found a similar version of the video uploaded on the YouTube page of the Free Press Journal, although in a blurred format. The attached information shows that it is from a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso. 

The same video appeared on Reuters and Al Jazeera, with headlines “Hundreds killed in deadly attack near Burkina Faso capital” and “Up to 200 people killed in attack in central Burkina Faso,” respectively. DUBAWA also found an Aug. 27 report by Deutsche Welle describing a terror attack in Barsalogho village in the central parts of Burkina Faso, which led to the deaths of about 200 villagers and soldiers. 

According to the report, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an affiliate of al-Qaeda — a dominant terror group in the Sahel region, claimed responsibility for the incident.

Finally, we contacted Ahmad Rufai, the police spokesperson in Sokoto State, for further comments. “The information is false; something of such did not happen in Sokoto recently,” Mr Rufai told DUBAWA. 

Conclusion 

Our investigation indicates that the video is from a recent terrorist attack in Burkina Faso. It’s unconnected to Nigeria, and the claim is false.

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