By Pascal Ibe

Claim

A Facebook user, Geoffrey Okwuchukwu Nomeh, has posted an image of a gun-welded man alongside the claim that he’s one of the hunters killed in Edo State recently.

Verdict

This claim is MISLEADING. Results from a Google search showed that this was a picture of a notorious bandit, Boderi Isyaku, who was killed by the Nigerian army in February 2022 as it has nothing to do with “a northern hunter in Edo State.

Full Text

A Facebook user, Geoffrey Okwuchukwu Nomeh, has shared a photo of a heavily armed man and claimed he was one of the hunters killed and set ablaze in Edo State recently.

The Facebook user claimed that “This was one of the Fulani hunters killed and set ablaze by the mob in Uromi Edo state.

“Yes, he’s indeed a hunter 🙄

“I don’t support jungle justice, though, but they were hunters indeed. The problem is that you didn’t care to know what they hunt exactly 🙄

The post has already generated hundreds of reactions and comments on Facebook.

FactWatch Nigeria observed this photo, and the claim had already been spread to other social media platforms like X and Thread.

Background

Outrage and anger have continued to greet the recent killing of 16 northern hunters in Edo State who were traveling from Rivers State to Kano for the Eid Mubarak celebration.

According to reports,16 northern hunters traveling to Kano were killed by vigilance group members and locals in Uromi, Edo State on 27 March 2025.

The victims were reportedly returning home from Rivers State to celebrate the end of Ramadan and Eid Kabir with their families when they were attacked.

Various northern groups, state governments, and lawmakers, among others, in separate statements, frowned at the incident, which they described as barbaric and cowardly.

Verification

A simple keyword search on Google revealed that this was a picture of a notorious bandit, Boderi Isyaku, who was killed by the Nigerian army in February 2022, as it has nothing to do with “a northern hunter in Edo State.

Reports by the Leadership and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in February 2024 stated that the troops of the Nigerian Army neutralized a notorious bandit, Boderi Isyaku.

Isyaku was King alongside some of his fighters in a gun duel with the troops around Bada/Riyawa general areas of Chikun and Igabi Local government area” in Kaduna State.

A statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan the troops on Wednesday night, came in contact with Boderi and his fighters around Bada general area of Chikun Local government area.

According to the statement, the troops had recovered two AK47 rifles, 300 rounds of ammunition, nine AK47 magazines, one magazine carrier, one Baofeng radio set, and five motorcycles.

“Boderi was involved in a range of deadly attacks spanning Sabon Birni, Rigasa, Buruku, Gwagwada, Rijana, and Kateri general areas, the Kaduna-Abuja Road, the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road, as well as Shiroro, Alawa, and Mangoro general areas of nneighboringNiger State.

His activities included vast and elaborate operations in cattle rustling and gunrunning”

“Boderi, hd for nearly a decade propagated a reign of fear, death,d destruction in Kaduna State and neighboring Niger State, with a trademark of brutal attacks, mass abductions,d cruel, relentless killing”

“It was Boderi who plotted and executed the 11th March 2021 abduction of 39 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Igabi LGA.

Receiving the report, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State expressed satisfaction over the development, which he described as a pointer to the bravery and professionalism of the troops involved.

Check similar social media posts and publications with the same date that corroborate this report here, here and here.

Conclusion

The Facebook user intentionally shared the photo to mislead the public, as the picture attached to the claim has nothing to do with the Edo hunters recently killed.