A claim that an image shows multiple airstrikes conducted by the Nigerian Air Force in some troubled towns in Kwara state has surfaced on the internet.
The claim was made by an X user, @milnewsng, alongside a picture that showed the marked area for an airstrike.
The caption read:
The Nigerian Air Force Air Task Force OPFY Sector 3 has conducted multiple airstrikes in Kakihun, Oke-Ode, Babanla, and surrounding areas in Kwara State. Recce + CAS ops were executed as threat deterrence & bandits/terrorists seen at East of Babanla were targeted in airstrikes.
Since the inception of the claim on Monday, September 29, 2025, it has generated a traction of over 70,000 views, 590 likes, and 237 reposts.
CLAIM
Image shows airstrike on Kwara communities.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING!
When the image was subjected to a Google Lens search, it traced back to earlier appearances where it had been used as a featured photo in news reports.
One such report, published by Zagazola Makama, stated that on October 25, 2024, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrikes eliminated scores of Boko Haram fighters at two key locations in Bula Marwa, Borno State. The strikes reportedly destroyed several motorcycles and thwarted planned terrorist activities, marking a major contribution by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI in the fight against insurgency.
Other media outlets also carried the same report at the time, as seen here and here.
However, further checks revealed that although some media houses had indeed reported airstrikes in parts of Kwara State on Sunday, September 28, the image circulating was misleading, as it was falsely used to depict the incident.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the image shows an airstrike in Kwara communities is misleading; the image is from an airstrike in Bula Marwa, Borno state, from 2024.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.
