Old image of kidnappers’ den busted in 2021 resurfaces online

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AN X user, @BolanleCole, has posted an image showing a shady room alongside a claim that it shows a kidnappers’ den meant for money ritual recently discovered in Isi-Agu, Anambra State.

He posted the image with a caption thus:

“Breaking News: Another kidnapper Den has been found in Isi agu Anambra state . The Igbo kidnappers/Ritualist kept their victims for Mining their skulls for money  Ritual purposes. A day ago a kidnapper hotel was found in Anambra with over 47 headless corpses buried inside.”

READ: Viral photos do not show recent arrest of ritual suspects in Ondo State

 

CLAIM

Image shows kidnappers’ den discovered in Anambra State recently.

 

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the image has been online since December 2021.

When our fact-checker subjected the image to Google Reverse, results show that it has been online since December 2021. The story was also reported by the BBC in December 2021.

Screenshot of the viral post retrieved from X. INSERT: MISLEADING verdict.

The image shows dead bodies, decapitated human heads and roasted bodies uncovered by the Military, Police and the Department of State Services, DSS at an alleged camp of  Eastern Security Network (ESN) members and kidnappers den in Orlu Zone area of Imo State and Anambra State. The operation took place in Orsu LGA in Imo State and Uli in Ihiala LGA of Anambra State.

DON’T MISS THIS: No! Video does not show Igbos killed in Mozambique over money rituals

Our fact-checker has observed over time that there’s a growing divide between members of the Igbo extraction and their Yoruba counterparts (majorly from Southwestern Nigeria) on social media, particularly on X. This has fueled ethnic-motivated misinformation on the social media platform which has been fact-checked by this medium multiple times as seen here, here and here. Such misinformation trends are projected to rock Nigeria’s information ecosystem in 2025.

 

THE VERDICT

The claim that the image shows a kidnappers’ den recently found in Anambra State is MISLEADING; the image has been online since 2021.

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Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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