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Video of youths rejoicing after winning competition falsely used to depict Sokoto residents’ excitement over US military strike

Nurudeen Akewushola
Nurudeen Akewushola
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screenshot of viral video showing youths rejoicing after winning competition

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A video showing a group of youths singing and celebrating on a dusty area has circulated online with claims that it depicts residents of Sokoto jubilating after a US military strike in the state.

An X user, @afrisagacity posted the video with a caption:

“A video of Sokoto indigenes celebrating the killing and displacement of the [sic] Lakuwara terrorists in the state by the U.S. Military.

See how overjoyed and frenzied they are. They had suffered in silence for so long that this feels like a historic liberation!”

READ : Old image falsely used to depict airstrike in Kwara

The post has generated over 300 reposts and more than 600 likes as of January 5, 2026.

Another X user, @Abdullayofel posted the video with a caption :

“VIDEO: Indigenous people of Sokoto rejoicing and celebrating after the terrorist group Lukarawa were defeated following the Nigeria/ US Army collaboration…. ISWAP Mop them all.”

CLAIM

Video shows Sokoto residents celebrating after a US airstrike.

screenshot of viral video showing youths rejoicing after winning competition

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

The ICIR reported that the US announced it carried out “powerful and deadly” strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) elements operating in North-Western Nigeria on Christmas Day, December 25.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attacks targeted terrorist elements through collaboration with the US as part of “structured security cooperation with international partners to address terrorism and violent extremism in the country.”

READ ALSO : Old footage from Côte d’Ivoire used to depict US Christmas military strike in Sokoto

Similarly, the Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, a major general, said the operation demonstrated the Federal Government’s resolve, in collaboration with strategic international partners, to confront transnational terrorism and prevent foreign fighters from gaining a foothold in Nigeria.

The FactCheckHub subjected the video in circulation to Google reverse image search, and the result showed that the video was originally posted by a TikTok user, MR_B_A_B_YARON_SOKOTO, on Thursday, January 1, without any caption.

After the video went viral, the user released another video clarifying that the footage was taken after they won a competition. The video, he explained, captured their joy after their efforts since last year, before later emerging victorious.

VERDICT

The claim that the video shows Sokoto residents rejoicing over a US military strike in the state is MISLEADING. The video shows youths celebrating after winning a competition.

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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 nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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