Claim: A Facebook page, Naija TV, shared a video claiming that 15 kidnapped soldiers seen in the footage are Nigerian military personnel.
Verdict: Misleading. The video is not from Nigeria; it is an old clip showing Malian soldiers captured during a conflict in Mali.
Full Text
A Facebook page, Naija TV, on April 19, 2026, posted a video (archived link here) alleging that 15 Nigerian soldiers had been kidnapped. In the footage, a voice urges Nigerians to “wake up” and watch the video, while another criticises the Commander-in-Chief, saying: “How do you sleep when your soldiers are being paraded like this… bandits have taken custody?”
As of April 21, 2026, the post had generated over 5,000 likes, 2,200 shares, and more than 433 comments, sparking widespread reactions and debate.
Several users expressed doubt about the claim. Clifford Ojezua wrote, “Oga, stop spreading fake news, these are not the Nigerian army.”
Hauwa Abiri questioned, “I am confused. How do you know the Nigerian army? Explain.”
A page, Distinct Guide Institute of Professional Studies, Nigeria, suggested, “They should apply technology to enable tracking.”
DUBAWA examined the claim due to its timing, coming shortly after reports of a deadly attack in Benisheikh, Borno State.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a reverse image search using key frames from the video. The analysis revealed that the insignia on the soldiers’ uniforms did not match those of the Nigerian Army.
Further checks showed that the badge corresponds with that of the Malian military.
Additional findings indicate that the same video had circulated online as early as 2025, including a post by a user identified as Emakoji Ayikoye II.
DUBAWA also traced the footage to a report by Clash Report, which described the video as showing Malian soldiers captured during clashes with Jama’at Nasrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) near Sikasso, Mali.
Reports from the African Center for Strategic Studies confirm that JNIM intensified attacks in southern and western Mali in 2025, frequently targeting military formations and taking soldiers captive during operations in the region.
Conclusion
The claim that the video shows kidnapped Nigerian soldiers is misleading. Evidence confirms that the footage is an old video from Mali, depicting Malian soldiers captured during insurgent attacks in 2025.