FACT-CHECK: Did Terrorists/Bandits Pursue Police in Broad Daylight in a New Video?
CLAIM: A Facebook post by George Udom, a promoter of the Tinubu administration alongside other influencers has emerged online claiming that some armed men identified as bandits have recently pursued a Police Patrol Team along the Kaduna-Abuja road in a new encounter. Similarly. the same video was shared on WhatsApp platforms claiming that they were terrorists pursuing policemen in Yobe state.
FULL-TEXT: As claimed by the claimer, the armed men—bandits—have recently chased a Police Patrol Team away along the Kaduna-Abuja road in a new encounter.
The text that accompanied the video reads: “This Country is finished. Look at Bandits pursuing police in broad daylight. This what happened in Kaduna yesterday just as in other parts of this country [sic].”
The same footage has been used to claim that Boko Haram fighters have attacked the Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State while returning from the University of Maiduguri combined convocation held recently, leading to the death of two promising policemen.
Similarly, it was used to claim that there’s a very recent clash between the Islamic Movement of Nigeria – Shites – and members of the Nigerian Police.
Bandits in Nigeria typically refer to criminal groups involved in activities such as kidnapping, robbery, and extortion.
Boko Haram, on the other hand, is an Islamist extremist group known for its insurgency in northeastern Nigeria, aiming to establish Islamic law. Both pose security challenges in the country, and the Nigerian government has been working to address these issues through various measures.
VERIFICATION: PRNigeria conducted a keyword search across social media platforms and results revealed how the said video and claim had been massively shared by many social media influencers.
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PRNigeria fact check then broke the said video into keyframes and ran a reverse image search to detect the original source. Search results revealed that Daily Post, and Nairaland, among other media outlets had initially published the particular video five years ago, specificaly in April 2018 when loyalists of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-zakzaky’s were demanding his release in a violent protest, and clashing with security operatives in Maitama axis of Abuja.
Daily Post published, “The riot broke out after a protesting Shiite group clashed with some security agents. The group is protesting the release of its leader, El-zakzaky, who had been in custody of the DSS.
“According to an eyewitness, the visibly enraged Shiite members were seen throwing stones and sticks at an armoured tank mobilized to the protest scene. There were several attempts by the protesters to break into the armoured vehicle.
“The Shiite members were not moved by the teargas continuously fired by security agents to disperse them. The protesters are assembled at the Unity Fountain, beside the Transcorp hotel.”
Further investigation revealed that indeed Yobe State Governor Mai Mala’s convoy was recently attacked but there was no footage of the incidence circulating.
The convoy while returning from of Maiduguri, was reportedly attacked by members of the Boko Haram group.
Similar verifications revealed that there was no recent official report of Bandits encounter with Police Patrol Team along the Kaduna-Abuja road.
CONCLUSION: Based on the investigation conducted by PRNigeria, the footage showing reported clash between Bandits and Police or Boko Haram and Governor Buni’s convoy, was a video an incident that occured five years ago specificaly in April 2018, showing loyalists of Shite leader El-zakzaky clashing with security men while demanding the release of their leader and his family at the time.
It is noteworthy that the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat, have been released from Kaduna Correctional Centre after they were acquitted and discharged by the Kaduna State High Court in July 2021.
PRNigeria therefore concludes that the footage claiming that Bandits were recently engaged with the Police along Abuja – Kaduna road or that it was that of Boko Haram attacking Governor Buni’s convoy, is Misleading
By PRNigeria
