FACT CHECK: Viral Instagram video not linked to Oyo school abduction
A video circulating on Instagram claiming to show developments related to the recent abduction of students, teachers and a school principal in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State has been found to be misleading.
Claim
The footage, shared on June 4, showed two distressed men lying on the ground and appealing for help. The accompanying caption linked the video to the reported attack on schools in Oyo State, suggesting it was connected to the victims of the abduction.
The caption read:
“ GUNMEN ABDUCT STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PRINCIPAL IN OYO STATE SCHOOL ATTACK
Armed gunmen reportedly attacked schools in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting students, teachers, and the school principal.
Our team visited the affected community to assess the situation and speak with eyewitnesses following the incident.
Since the attack occurred on May 15, 2026, the kidnapped children are still being held by their captors. Nigerian authorities have assured the public that efforts are ongoing to secure the safe rescue of all victims.”
The post generated significant engagement from users who appeared to believe the footage was connected to the Oyo incident.
Verification
To determine whether the footage was genuinely linked to the Oyo school abduction, the video content was analysed and its origin traced.
The first step involved reviewing the audio. Hausa-speaking researchers listened to and transcribed the conversation between the two men featured in the footage.
The transcription revealed that both men were pleading for assistance to secure their release from captivity. One of the men lamented their deteriorating condition, saying they were sick and struggling to survive. He appealed to relatives and supporters to help secure their freedom.
The second man also urged people to raise funds demanded by their captors, saying they wanted to return to their families.
Importantly, neither of the men mentioned Oyo State, schools, students, teachers or any recent school attack. The audio therefore did not support the claim attached to the video.
To trace the source of the footage, key frames from the video were extracted and subjected to reverse image searches.
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The search led to another version of the footage published on YouTube on June 4 by Igbo Daily. The caption identified the individuals as a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Koko/Besse Local Government Area of Kebbi State and an associate allegedly being held by bandits.
Another version of the same footage, carrying the original audio, was also found online. Its Hausa caption prayed for an end to the activities of armed groups and their supporters.
Further keyword searches using details from the alternative versions of the video produced social media posts and news reports linking the footage to Kebbi State rather than Oyo State .
Several posts described the men as political figures from Kebbi State allegedly being held captive by bandits and appealing for assistance.
Although it was not possible to independently verify the identities of the individuals in the footage, all versions located during the investigation consistently linked the video to a banditry-related incident in northwestern Nigeria, not the reported school abduction in Oyo State.
No credible evidence was found connecting the footage to the attack on schools in Orire Local Government Area or to any of the victims reportedly abducted there.
Verdict: Misleading
The viral video is unrelated to the reported abduction of students, teachers and a school principal in Oyo State. Audio analysis showed the men were appealing for help from captivity, while reverse image searches traced the footage to posts identifying them as individuals allegedly held by bandits in Kebbi State .
No evidence supports the claim that the video originated from or depicts the Oyo school abduction.
Read the full article at The Guardian Nigeria →
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