The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) on Thursday, following a thorough analysis by relevant authorities, confirmed that a video currently circulating on social media, falsely presented as footage from the recent attack on troops in Marte, Borno State, is not related to the Marte incident in any form.
Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, revealed in a press statement that the visual content, terrain, and operational context clearly indicate that the footage is from an occurrence at a different location, which was first posted on 7 December 2020.
Major General Kangye explained that the video clips are being deliberately recycled and manipulated by criminal elements and sympathisers of terrorist groups to mislead the public and sow seeds of fear, while aiming at dissuading the public from the gains being recorded by troops of the AFN in the ongoing operations across the country.
"For the avoidance of doubt, troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in Marte came under attack on Monday, 12 May 2025 at about 0300hrs. However, the troops were able to repel the terrorists after a fierce gun battle, with a large number of terrorists neutralised while others escaped with bullet wounds.
"Following this, the terrorist resorted to sharing an old clip as propaganda to mislead gullible members of the public. This misinformation is not only malicious but also a failed attempt to demoralise our gallant troops and undermine the confidence of Nigerians in the Armed Forces.
"The AFN condemns in the strongest terms this reckless dissemination of fake content and warns that those behind such disinformation campaigns will be identified and held accountable under the law," he said
Major General Kangye affirmed that the Nigerian military remains fully committed and unwavering in its efforts to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our nation.
"Our troops in the North East and across all theatres of operations remain resolute and are making significant progress in dismantling terrorist networks.
"We urge the general public to disregard the fake video and rely only on official sources for verified information on military operations.
"The support and cooperation of all Nigerians remain vital in the collective fight against terrorism and all forms of insecurity," he added