The Defence Headquarters has denied claims that terrorists attacked and overran a military base in Marte, Borno State, calling a viral video on social media fake and misleading.
In a statement released on Thursday night, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, said the video being circulated was not from the recent attack in Marte, but from a different incident that happened in 2020.
“The attention of the Armed Forces of Nigeria has been drawn to a video currently circulating on social media, falsely presented as footage from the recent attack on troops in Marte, Borno State,” he said.
He explained that after forensic analysis, experts confirmed the video was not from the Marte attack.
“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,” Kangye stated.
According to the military, the video is part of a disinformation campaign by people trying to support terrorist groups and spread fear among the public.
Kangye added, “The video clip is being deliberately recycled and manipulated by criminal elements and sympathisers of terrorist groups to mislead the public and sow seed of fear, while aiming at dissuading the public from the gains being recorded by troops of the Armed Forces in the ongoing operations across the country.”
He confirmed that troops in Marte were indeed attacked by terrorists on Monday, 12 May 2025, around 3 am, but they successfully fought back.
“Troops were able to repel the terrorists after a fierce gun battle. A large number of terrorists were neutralised while others escaped with bullet wounds,” he said.
Kangye said after the failed attack, the terrorists began circulating the old video to confuse the public.
“This act of misinformation is not only malicious but also a failed attempt to demoralize our gallant troops and undermine the confidence of Nigerians in the Armed Forces,” he said.
He warned that those spreading such fake content would be tracked and punished according to the law.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria 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,” he said.
He assured Nigerians that the military remains committed to protecting the country’s peace and unity.
“Our troops in the North East and across all theatres of operations remain resolute and are making significant progress in dismantling terrorist networks,” Kangye said.
He also urged Nigerians to stop spreading fake news and to rely only on official sources for updates on military activities.
“The support and cooperation of all Nigerians remain vital in the collective fight against terrorism and all forms of insecurity,” he added.
