By: Shehu Uthman
CLAIM
The Fulani terrorists are heading to Ilesha in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State to avenge the killing of Fulani people after youth attacks Fulani community in the locality.
VERDICT
Misleading! Investigation by DIGEST PRESS showed that the video is used out of context.
BACKGROUND
A viral video circulating on Facebook has claimed that armed Fulani terrorists are on their way to Ilesha-Baruba and Kaima in Kwara State to retaliate against the killing of Fulani individuals following the death of an Islamic cleric, Alfa Muhammad Iliyasu.
The video was shared by a Facebook page Baruten Nation on 8th June 2026, showing armed men on motorcycles, moving along a tarred road in celebration. A voice note in the Baruba language accompanying the video also added that the terrorists would also reach Kaima.
The post read in part: “Threat of Retaliation after Ilesha-Baruba clash, May 30th, 2026. After youth burnt 10 Fulani houses following the killing of Islamic cleric, Muhammad Illiyasu. Security officers warned of reprisals.”
However, the real video posted by Baruten Nation on the Facebook page, was later taken down and replaced with a voice note conveying the same message.
Recall that SaharaReporters reported that Alfa Iliasu, an Islamic cleric, was widely known across Baruten and neighboring communities wete killed following a violent attack by suspected Fulani assailants at his residence in Ilesha-Baruba, Kwara State. The attackers allegedly struck him on the head with a cutlass. Although Alfa Iliasu was rushed to a hospital, he reportedly died before receiving treatment.
A video surfaced online further showed that one of the suspects was lynched by an angry mob in front of a police station. Community sources said three suspects were involved: one was killed at the scene by residents, another was arrested, and the third escaped. More than ten Fulanis were reportedly attacked, with their houses being burnt by angry Batonu youths in Ilesha. Therefore, the reason for the narrative is pushed by the Facebook page.
As of the time of making this report, the misleading post had garnered over 890 likes, over 2.2K views, 45 reshares, and 28 comments.
A visit to the comment section showed that some people believed the narrative to be true.
For example, @Sulaiman Manne wrote: “God have mercy on us please let us no mind either old video or New video be ready at any time”. Similarly, @Iliyasu S Saidu said: “And we believe God will attack them too”.
In a bid to counter disinformation, Digest Press deemed it necessary to investigate the claim.
FINDINGS
First, a Reverse Image Search was conducted using keyframes extracted from the viral video. Results from Google Lens showed that the video had existed online as far back as 18th March 2026 — nearly three months before the Ilesha-Baruba clash originated on 30th May 2026.
Secondly, the original video was traced to an Instagram account with the username @Uhfdcvntuugdzh, posted on 18th March 2026, with a different caption: “The owners of Nigeria are on a mission. They are bigger and more powerful than the government. Furthermore, there is no mention of Ilesha-Baruba, Kaima, or any retaliation in the original post. The discrepancy confirmed that the video was not recorded after the May 30th clash and the retaliatory attack.
CONCLUSION
False! Findings by this reporter showed that the video claiming Fulani terrorists were heading to Ilesha-Baruba and Kaima for retaliation is unrelated and misleading. The video predated the cited conflict and was originally posted with a completely different context. Sharing it as recent evidence of an imminent attack constituted information disorder.
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙪𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙔𝙖𝙠𝙪𝙗'𝙨 𝙉𝘼𝘾𝙅-𝙐𝘿𝙐𝙎 𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩-𝙂𝙚𝙣 𝙁𝙖𝙘𝙩-𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙎𝙄𝙉𝙏 𝙁𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥