The Defence Headquarters has dismissed a viral social media video claiming to show terrorists overrunning a military base in Marte, Borno State, describing it as recycled propaganda from 2020.
Major General Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, stated on Thursday night that forensic analysis confirmed the footage was fake and unrelated to recent operations.
“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,” Kangye said.
“Following a thorough analysis by relevant authorities, it has been confirmed that the video is not related to the Marte incident in any form. 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.”
The military revealed that while troops in Marte were indeed attacked on Monday, May 12, 2025, at about 3:00 am, they successfully repelled the assault: “Troops of AFN in Marte came under attack on Monday 12 May 2025 at about 0300hrs (3 am). However, the troops were able to repel the terrorists after fierce gun battle with a large number of terrorists neutralized while others escaped with bullet wounds.”
Kangye accused terrorists of weaponizing misinformation: “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 AFN in the ongoing operations across the country.”
The statement strongly condemned the disinformation campaign: “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. 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 in accordance with the law.”
Reaffirming the military’s operational successes, Kangye stated: “The Nigerian military remains fully committed and unwavering in its efforts at defending 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.”
The DHQ urged citizens to rely on official channels for accurate information: “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.”