By Pascal Ibe
Claim
A Facebook page, Reliant News posted a photo of a slain man in a wheelbarrow and another image showing the parade of motorcycles and firearms. The Facebook page claimed the photos were from a recent raid on the terrorists’ camp in Okgwe Local Government Area of Imo by Nigerian troops.
This claim followed a viral report by news organizations in Nigeria that a score of terrorist kingpins claiming to be Biafran agitators, were eliminated by the Nigerian soldiers.
According to the report, the terror kingpin, Ifeanyi Eze, is also known as Gentle De Yahoo, and his fighters in Imo State were feared killed on 16 September when Nigerian troops raided their hideout in Aku-Ihube, a community in Okigwe Local Government Area of the state.
Reacting to the viral report, the Facebook page posted the Images and wrote, “Kudos to our nation’s brave soldiers for their recent heroics in Imo State, Okigwe, which resulted in the de@th of several crimin@ls.”
The post has garnered hundreds of reactions and comments.
Verification
FACTWATCH Nigeria subjected the two photos to a Google Image Reverse Search and the results showed that the first image of a slain man in a wheelbarrow first appeared online in 2021.
The picture was among the gory photos shared by the Facebook page, Eagle Media TV Nigeria with a caption that reads, “Outrage As Fulani Herdsmen Massacre 36 Benue Residents ”
An X account posted these same photos, corroborating that they were from a suspected attack by armed herders in Benue State.
A publication by a news outlet confirmed this attack further.
In the second photo showing the parade of motorcycles and firearms, Google Lens showed that this incident happened in Kaduna in 2022.
According to a report by BBC Hausa, Nigerian security forces killed several gunmen in an operation in the Galbi area of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State that year.
Verdict
The photos used to show a recent raid on a terror camp in Imo State are MISLEADING.
Findings indicated that one was from 2021 and the other in 2022.
