By Pascal Ibe
Claim
Members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra posted on X, photos of slain solder and claimed it happened in the eastern part of Nigeria.
Verdict
This is Misleading. Findings showed that the incident happened in Togo on July 20 2024.
Full Text
As fight between the Nigerian military and pro Biafran fighters rages on the Southeast Nigeria, some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra on Thursday posted photo of a slain solder, burnt military tank and claimed a Nigerian solder was killed by armed fighters in the region.
An X user named Success Chikaodiri Nweke posted the same photo and wrote, “The #gwogwoongwo battle challenge between the undefeatable Biafran force and the Nigerian forces of darkness is getting interesting. Tell the barbarians to withdraw their army or else they will perish in Biafra.
The gained over 8k view, with people believing that this true.
Another user, Emmanuel GentileBiafra2 shared the photo and stated, “Biafra is our last hope and no mercy for the Nigeria terrorist army in uniform.
Verification
A simple Google image reverse search showed that the incident happened in Togo few days ago.
According to a Togo news platform known as Journal du Togo . con, On July 20, 2024, the Kpékankandi outpost in the Savanes region of northern Togo was the target of a bloody attack by the GSIM (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims).
Faced with this offensive, Togolese forces responded vigorously, managing to neutralize at least 40 attackers. During this anti-terrorist operation, terrorists killed 12 Togolese soldiers and injured or made several others disappear. They also caused significant material damage, taking away or destroying military equipment and weapons
According to the information gathered, the GSIM terrorists arrived on site in machine-gun vehicles and on motorcycles, before launching their surprise attack on the outpost. This attack highlights once again the complexity and seriousness of the terrorist threat in the Sahel region.
Also, Zagazola, a security analyst and counter insurgency expert, confirmed that In a devastating assault, more than 1,000 fighters from the jihadist group Ansaroul Islam, part of the Jamaat Nasratul al Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), attacked a Togolese military advanced barracks in the village of Kpankankandi, situated approximately 10-15 kilometers from the Burkinabe border.
The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon and highlights the growing insecurity in the region.
The area around Kpankankandi has experienced numerous incursions by jihadists based in Kompienga and Pama in Burkina Faso since 2021. The group controlling this part of Burkina Faso is led by Burkinabe Fulbe Iddrisa Dicko, also known as Sekou Mouslem.
According to sources, the sheer number of jihadist fighters overwhelmed the Togolese special forces, giving them little time to respond. After a brief but intense confrontation, the jihadists forced the Togolese forces into a disorderly retreat and maintained control of the barracks for several hours before withdrawing back to Burkina Faso, having emptied the barracks of its contents.
Conclusion
Photos of terror incident which happened last Saturday in Togo, were used by IPOB members to mislead the public that it occurred in Southeast Nigeria.
