A viral video circulating on social media has drawn widespread condemnation amid claims it was a staged attempt to weaponise disinformation, inflame ethnic tensions, and falsely portray peaceful herders as Boko Haram militants in Nigeria’s South East.
The clip, which appears to show armed men speaking Hausa and issuing threats, has been discredited by multiple security sources, conflict monitors and community leaders, who describe it as inauthentic and deliberately crafted to mislead both Nigerians and the international community.
Experts say the speakers in the video do not use accents or communication styles associated with Boko Haram or ISWAP fighters, nor do they exhibit the typical presentation used by jihadist groups in the North East.
Instead, observers point to heavily concealed faces, awkward staging, and unnatural speech patterns, suggesting the video may have been produced by elements of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) attempting to impersonate Fulani or other northern extremists.
The suspected objective, analysts warn, is twofold: to demonise pastoralist communities in the South East and to fabricate evidence for international audiences to support claims of “genocide” against Igbo people, despite the absence of credible proof.
A senior security expert monitoring separatist activity described the clip as “another poorly staged propaganda material designed to mislead Nigerians and deepen ethnic suspicion.”
According to him, “The mannerisms, language delivery and the entire setup clearly do not align with Boko Haram or ISWAP’s media signatures. These are not Fulani herders nor northern extremists. This was engineered for propaganda purposes.”
Community sources in the South East also note that recent violent incidents — including attacks on police stations, targeted killings, extortion, and the enforcement of illegal sit-at-home orders — have been linked largely to IPOB’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). Yet, some of these attacks have been wrongly blamed on Fulani groups to reinforce a dangerous narrative of ethnic persecution.
A northern pastoralist leader warned that such deceptive tactics “are used to justify hatred, violence and calls for international intervention based on propaganda,” stressing that his community has long suffered from unfounded accusations.
Security analysts caution that staged videos and impersonation tactics are increasingly used by violent non-state actors seeking sympathy, legitimacy or global attention.
Authorities have urged the public to verify information before sharing, noting that propaganda remains a potent tool for fuelling division in an already fragile security environment.
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