Claim: Social media users on X, Facebook, and Instagram shared a video claiming it shows armed bandits cooking human flesh of kidnapped civilians.
Verdict: Misleading. DUBAWA found that the viral video does not show armed bandits cooking human flesh. The original was recorded during a Fulani wedding ceremony in Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State.
Full Text
A video showing several men cooking with large pots in an open field went viral on X (archived here), Facebook (archived here), and Instagram (archived here).
The video was shared with the claim that it shows armed bandits cooking human flesh.
While some posts simply alleged that the men were preparing human meat, others went further to claim the meat belonged to civilians kidnapped by bandits.
One X user, @pcfjbl, wrote, “I just saw this video of bandits cooking human meat in seven big pots on TikTok.”
As of Monday, 20 July 2026, the post had garnered over 80,200 views, 190 reposts, 960 likes, 868 bookmarks, and 90 comments. The claim generated mixed reactions among X users. While some accepted the narrative, others questioned its authenticity.
For instance, Ade (@Ade_Lee19) wrote, “Who is paying u people to paint Nigeria black? How did u know it was human meat, and how did u know they were bandits? Did U have any evidence?”
Another user, geeked Rick (@badboyriick), also challenged the claim, asking, “How did you confirm it was human meat?”
Similarly, on Facebook, a user, Sabc Six, shared the video with the caption, “Bandits cooking human meat in Nigeria. Nah, we not uniting….they can leave us out. PAN AFRICANISTS can’t even deal with this evil yet want us to unite. NEVER. ONE AFRICA andizi, miss me… In the comments, check the Twitter link. Can’t post on fb.”
Another Facebook user, Ojong Oyongha, shared the same video with a similar caption. “Happening in Nigeria… You and I know what these bandit men are cooking is not cow meat or any animal meat; they are now eating their abductors, Ojong’s caption reads.
Given the virality across platforms, the growing circulation of manipulated and misleading security-related content on social media, and the potential impact of such claims, DUBAWA decided to investigate.
Verification
DUBAWA carefully reviewed the viral video and observed that it shows several men gathered around multiple large cooking pots in what appears to be an open rural setting.
We observed several motorcycles parked nearby, while a Hausa song played in the background. However, beyond the music, the footage contains no narration identifying the location, the people involved, or what is being cooked.
To trace the origin of the footage, DUBAWA conducted reverse image searches using Google Lens, Yandex Images, and TinEye. The searches did not return any earlier or verified versions capable of independently establishing the video’s origin or supporting the claim that it depicts bandits cooking human flesh.
We observed that the versions circulating on X, Facebook, and Instagram had the TikTok watermark @ahmadumuhammed463, so we searched on TikTok. DUBAWA traced the original upload to the TikTok account and found that, unlike the reposted versions, the original video was uploaded without any caption identifying the men as bandits or alleging they were cooking human flesh.
For clarification, DUBAWA contacted the owner of the TikTok account, Muhammad Ahmadu (popularly known as Gombawa), via the WhatsApp number listed on his TikTok profile. During a telephone conversation and follow-up chat conducted in Hausa, he dismissed the viral claim as false.
According to him, the footage (archived here) was recorded during a traditional Fulani marriage celebration involving his two younger brothers, Adamu Musa and Ahmadu Musa, in Fandi Kara Lalaipido, Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State.
Gombawa explained that the marriage (wedding solemnisation) took place on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, while the cooking ceremony shown in the viral clip was held the following day, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, as part of the wedding festivities.
To support his explanation, Muhammad Ahmadu provided DUBAWA with 17 videos recorded during the event. The videos document different stages of the celebration, including the slaughtering of cows, food preparation, cooking, and other wedding activities. The controversial clip circulating on social media forms only one segment of the complete footage.
A collage comparing matching scenes from the original TikTok video and the versions later circulated on social media with misleading claims.
DUBAWA reviewed all 17 videos and confirmed that the viral clip was extracted from the broader wedding footage.
Gombawa also expressed disappointment that social media users had deliberately attached a false narrative to his video despite the absence of any caption suggesting criminal activity.
Importantly, DUBAWA found no visible evidence in the footage to support the viral claim. None of the men is visibly armed, and no military uniforms or other indicators identify them as bandits.
Likewise, the video provides no indication that supports the allegation.
Conclusion
The claim that the viral video shows armed bandits cooking human flesh is misleading.
DUBAWA established that the footage originated from a traditional Fulani wedding celebration held in Fandi Kara Lalaipido, Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State, and not from a bandit camp.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.