A video circulating on social media purportedly shows thousands of residents in Nigeria’s South-East fleeing from attacks by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
CONTEXT
On September 12, 2024, X (formerly Twitter) user @dipoaina1, with 36,200 followers, shared a 59-second video with the caption: “Residents in South east community are fleeing from the IPOB terrorist”.
The post had garnered engagement, including 11,300 views, 61 reposts, and 170 likes as of our fact-check.
The footage shows a large number of people, including women and children, carrying luggage and fleeing on foot and motorcycles.
CLAIM
Residents of South-East Community Flee From IPOB Attack
VERIFICATION
Reverse Image Search: Using key frames from the video in a reverse image search, we found earlier versions of the footage dating back to November 2022, not 2024 as claimed in the recent post.
Earlier Media Report: Igbere TV, a Nigerian news blog, reported on the incident in November 2022 with the headline: “Kidnapping In Enugu Communities On The Rise As Residents Vacate Their Home (Photos, Video)”.
Location and Cause: The incident occurred in the Udi community of Enugu State. According to Igbere TV’s report, residents were fleeing due to “incessant attacks from terrorists in the region,” not specifically IPOB.
Additional Context: The original incident was related to a surge in kidnapping activities in Enugu communities, particularly affecting the Eha-Amufu area.
VERDICT
Findings by NewsNGR Show that the claim is misleading, as the footage being reposted as a recent incident is old. Findings show that the attack happened in Eha-Amufu in Enugu in 2022.