Claim: Social media users are sharing images claiming they show more than 300 bandits killed by the Nigerian military during a special operation in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
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Images have recently been circulating on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by claims that they depict more than 300 bandits killed by the Nigerian military during an operation in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
One Facebook user, Yaseer Abubakar, shared the images with the claim that soldiers killed more than 300 bandits in Gummi. Another social media influencer, Alhassan Mai Lafiya, later shared the post, attracting approximately 3,300 reactions, 502 comments, and 119 shares.
Another X user, Videx, shared the same images with 17.5k viewers, claiming they showed more than 100 bandits killed in Zamfara.
The claim gained further attention after Radio France Internationale (RFI) Hausa reported that more than 300 bandits were killed during a military operation in Gummi.
Given the widespread circulation of the images and the varying casualty figures, DUBAWA verified whether the images were taken in Zamfara and whether the claim accurately represented the available evidence.
Verification:
DUBAWA conducted a reverse-image search using TinEye to determine the origin of the viral images.
The search revealed that the images did not originate from Zamfara State. Instead, they were first published by the South African news outlet, News24, in a report about the arrest of illegal miners during a law enforcement operation at the Losberg Kloof Mine in Westonaria, Johannesburg.
According to the report, authorities arrested 217 suspected illegal miners during Operation Prosper. Police said those arrested included undocumented migrants from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, while two South Africans were also among those apprehended.
DUBAWA also reviewed official statements issued by the Defence Headquarters on its verified Facebook handle regarding the military operation in Gummi. While the military confirmed a fierce confrontation with bandits and the recovery of several motorcycles abandoned by fleeing criminals, it did not provide an official casualty figure.
Officials of the Zamfara State Government, however, stated that more than 300 bandits were killed during the operation. At the time of this fact-check, DUBAWA could not independently verify that figure, as no official evidence, including identifiable bodies or an independently verified casualty count, had been made publicly available.
Verdict: Misleading.
The viral images do not show bandits killed during a military operation in Gummi, Zamfara State. They are images from South Africa showing the arrest of illegal miners. While officials in Zamfara claimed that more than 300 bandits were killed during the operation, DUBAWA could not independently verify the casualty figure, and the Defence Headquarters has not released an official death toll.
