A video that spread across social media in July 2026 with claims it showed armed bandits preparing human flesh has been debunked. The footage, which shows several men gathered around large cooking pots in an open field, was actually recorded during a traditional Fulani wedding celebration in Gombe State, not at a bandit camp.
The clip circulated widely on X, Facebook, and Instagram after being posted by an X user who alleged it depicted bandits cooking human meat. However, Nigerian fact-checking organisation Dubawa investigated the footage and concluded the claim is false.
Social Media Users Question the Claim
Not everyone accepted the initial allegation. X user Ade (@Ade_Lee19) directly challenged the post, asking: "Who is paying u people to paint Nigeria black? How did u know it was human meat, and how did u know they were bandits? Did U have any evidence?" Another user, geeked Rick (@badboyriick), similarly questioned: "How did you confirm it was human meat?"
Dubawa Investigation Reveals the Truth
Dubawa reviewed the video and noted that the men in the footage were not visibly armed and wore no uniforms or other markers associated with armed groups. Several motorcycles were parked nearby, and a Hausa song played in the background, but the clip contained no narration, captions, or other details identifying the location, the people, or what was being cooked.
Reverse image searches on Google Lens, Yandex Images, and TinEye returned no earlier or verified versions of the footage. Investigators then traced the TikTok watermark visible on the circulating copies to the account @ahmadumuhammed463 and found that the original upload carried no caption making any such claim.
Account Owner Confirms Wedding Ceremony
According to Dubawa, the account owner, Muhammad Ahmadu, known online as Gombawa, was contacted through the WhatsApp number listed on his TikTok profile. Speaking in Hausa, he said the footage was recorded during a traditional Fulani wedding celebration for his two younger brothers, Adamu Musa and Ahmadu Musa, at Fandi Kara Lalaipido in Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State. The wedding ceremony took place on Saturday, January 31, 2026, while the cooking shown in the viral clip was part of festivities held the following day, Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Ahmadu provided 17 videos from the same event to support his account, covering different stages of the celebration, including the slaughter of cows, food preparation, and other wedding activities. The controversial clip forms only one short segment of that wider footage. Dubawa reviewed all 17 videos and confirmed the viral clip was drawn directly from the wedding recording.
False Narrative Disappoints Account Owner
Ahmadu said he was disappointed that other users had attached a criminal narrative to footage he posted without any such suggestion. The claim that the video shows bandits cooking human flesh is therefore false. The footage depicts a legitimate community celebration, not a bandit camp.
This incident adds to the long list of misinformation that has circulated in Nigeria amid ongoing security challenges. The country has faced decades of insecurity, with hundreds of lives lost and millions of properties destroyed. Several serving military personnel and retired generals have been killed in bandit attacks. The lingering insecurity has become a major topic of discussion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
