The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed the viral clip circulating online showing terrorists overrunning a military base in Marte, Borno State and killing some soldiers. DHQ recently revealed that the clip is nothing but a disinformation campaign that should not be taken seriously.
Speaking via its Director, Defence Media Operation, Major General Markus Kangye, the Defence Headquarters revealed that the clip is actually from an occurrence at a different location which was first posted on the 7th of December 2020, and after it was subjected to a thorough forensic analysis, it was discovered to be fake.
According to him, the video is not related to the Marte incident in any form or manner, and it was deliberately manipulated by criminal elements and sympathisers of terrorist groups to mislead the public and sow seed of fear among Nigerians.
The General believes that the aim of the manipulation is to dissuade the public from the achievements being recorded by troops of the AFN in the ongoing operations across Nigeria.
“The attention of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) 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.
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 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.
For the avoidance of doubt, 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.
Following this, the terrorist resulted in sharing an old clip as propaganda to mislead gullible members of 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.
Major General Kangye blasted those behind such misinformation, adding that an investigation is currently ongoing to determine who the culprits are and hold them accountable for their actions.
Confirming that the troops in the North East remain dedicated soldiers as they make significant progress in dismantling terrorist networks, he urged Nigerians to depend only on official sources for verified information on military operations.
“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.
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.
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,” he added.
