Misleading videos, images used to depict Plateau massacre
As Nigeria continues to mourn the death of over 149 people that died in the carnage that occurred in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi LGAs, the social media sphere has been inundated with videos and images that are unrelated to the massacre.
According to media reports, the incident blamed on Fulani herders targeted over 20 villages which lasted from December 23 to 25.
Recall that the state has over the years had its share of ethno-religious crises.
Claim one: Video of corpses with surviving children on Twitter.
A video showing corpses on the ground was circulated on X, formerly Twitter, a day after the killings made it to the news.
The 1:38 video captured two children who survived the attack, while one is wrapped to its dead mother’s back and the second is cuddled by the dead mother. The person taking the video is wearing a military boot, while a conversation is heard amid the cries of one of the babies.
The video, which was posted on several handles on X to show some of the victims, has an X user, Somto Okonkwo, posting: “This is so tragic to watch on Christmas day: viewers’ discretion advised. Over 70 Christians killed by Fulani herdsmen while they were celebrating Christmas in Bokkos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Women and children slaughtered worse than animals. Every year, these killer Fulani herdsmen carry out these senseless massacres during Christmas and nothing is done to stop it. In fact, none of these herdsmen will be arrested or prosecuted by the Nigerian government and armed forces.”
Verification
The conversation in the video is in Fulfulde (Fulani). Also, one
of the corpses is with a keffiyeh - a scarf popular among inhabitants of the Sahelian region of Africa. With these two, it could be inferred that the victims are Fulani. This suggests the video is not related to the recent Plateau killings.
A further analysis using key frame analysis from InVid video verifier indicated that the video was uploaded by an X user on December 16.
The poster of the video who wrote in French stated that the incident occurred in Burkina Faso. A Google translation of the post states that: “The National junta army in power in Burkina Faso, accompanied by VDP and under advice from the Malian junta and Wagner’s partners, carried out this week a massacre of more than 200 civilians, including mainly women and children, in several villages in the Djibo area. One of the unbearable and horrible images was taken by those this army fled upon learning that they were approaching the scene. These power-hungry putschist regimes are dragging their respective countries
into unlimited anarchy.”
Effort to check if there was a reported attack in December, using Google search did not yield any result. As such, it could not be confirmed if the video was recent. But media reports and research showed that Djibo is a volatile area in Burkina Faso and one of the strongholds of Islamist militants terrorising the country.
The intensity of the security lapses in the area led to food blockage into the town, with a report by Relief Web warning the suspension of humanitarian efforts in the area due to the insecurity which would result in a famine and plunge its 300,000 habitants into malnutrition.
Verdict:
From the foregoing, analysis of the video indicates that it is not related to the Plateau massacre as it was available on the internet more than a week before the killings in Plateau State.
Claim 2: Video of Islamist militant jubilating after killing Christians in Plateau
Another video was posted on
the X handle of Remix News & Views, a news website that serves audiences in Central Europe, particularly the Visegrád countries of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
The video shows what appears to be fighters of an Islamist group jubilating while uttering the words, “Allahu Akbar”, meaning God is great, an important phrase in Islam adopted by Islamic terrorists while carrying out terrorist’s acts.
Gunshots can be heard in the background with the video shakily moving to show burnt down buildings sparsely covered by trees.
The video was posted on December 27, with the caption: “WATCH: Islamist gunmen parade through a Nigerian village after massacring 140 men, women and children with firearms and machetes in the predominantly Christian Plateau State. Here, the terrorists can be heard shouting, “Allahu Akbar”, but a Reuters report suggests the escalating conflict is primarily a result of “climate change and expanding agriculture”. Another footage shows looted churches with blood-stained floors as Christians are butchered while celebrating Christmas with their families.
Verification:
The same video was found on the X account of Zagazola Makala, a security analyst and counterinsurgency expert in the Lake Chad Region.
Makama had explained in the post that the video was elements of Boko Haram terrorist group invading the position of ISWAP at Gaizuwa, Sambisa Forest, after ISWAP had flown out.
He added that Gaizuwa is a former enclave of Boko Haram located a few kilometres from Bama LGA, Borno State, but that ISWAP took over the camp after defeating the Boko Haram group led by Alhaji Air Hajja Fusambe.
Verdict:
The video does not show the perpetrators of the Plateau massacre jubilating but members of Boko Haram invading the position of ISWAP members in Sambisa Forest. As such, the video is misleading.
Claim 3: Old images used to depict massacre
An X account, End wokeness, posted two images of charred buildings and another of two security personnel standing guard at a burnt building.
The post which has 3.3 million views since it was uploaded on December 26m has the comment: “CHRISTMAS MASSACRE IN NIGERIA: The death toll is 140 and climbing after a series of coordinated attacks by Jihadist forces in Plateau. They attacked 20 Christian communities in Central Nigeria, raiding and burning homes while civilians were asleep. 300 are injured and 221 homes are destroyed. The authorities did not respond for over 12 hours, a source has told AP. In the past 2 decades, 62,000 Christians in Nigeria have been killed by Jihadists and another 5 million have been displaced.”
Verification:
An image reverse search shows the first building is that of the correctional centre that was attacked in Imo State.
Media reports stated that the vicinity was attacked by gunmen on April 5, 2021, with more than 1,500 inmates freed during the process.
The second and third image is a previous attack that occurred in Kanam LGA of Plateau State in April, 2022.
The images were used in media reports and were credited to be from AFP.
Verdict:
The images are not related to the recent massacre, as such they are misleading.