A video claiming to depict an ongoing clash between local vigilantes and herdsmen in Benue State has surfaced online.
A Facebook page, Agozi Commedy, posted a 13-second video with the caption: “Ongoing war in Benue state as local vigilante killed 35 Fulani Herdsmen cow and 14 herdsmen that are terrorising the community.”
The video shows two groups clashing with cutlasses and sticks. The post has over 270,000 generated views and comments as of July 9, 2025.
CLAIM
Video shows ongoing clash between local vigilantes and herdsmen in Benue State.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
Benue State has witnessed repeated episodes of violence involving herders and farming communities. In recent months, there were deadly attacks in communities such as Yelewata in Gwer West Local Government Area.
Checks show that the video used to support the claim has been circulating for a long time before July 2025.
The FactCheckHub subjected the video to Google Reverse Image search, and the result revealed that the footage has appeared online in various contexts since at least 2022.
The earliest traceable version of the video shows it was recorded during a violent clash between rival gangs in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2022.
An X account who identified himself as President of the National Federation of Youth of the Union for Congolese Nation posted the video on August 23, 2022, with a caption translated as : “I condemn in the strongest possible terms: the resurgence of the Kuluna phenomenon in Kinshasa, despite the measures taken. We ask the relevant authorities to investigate this situation in order to take further deterrent measures in addition to national service.”
THE VERDICT
The video does not show an ongoing clash between vigilantes and herders in Benue State. It has been online since 2022 and originated from a gang clash in Kinshasa, DR Congo. While tensions exist in Benue, this video is being used out of context and misrepresents the current situation. Therefore, the claim is MISLEADING.
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 nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
