The Abia State Police Command has moved swiftly to dismiss a widely circulating social media video falsely claiming that 488 Boko Haram members were arrested in the state, describing the footage as a decade-old broadcast being deliberately recycled to cause panic and unrest.
The Command, in a statement issued on Wednesday, described the report as “false, misleading and intended to incite fears and unrest in the state.” The statement, signed by police spokesperson DSP Maureen Chinaka, confirmed that the circulating video is an old broadcast of over 11 years ago and “does not reflect the current security situation in Abia State.”
“The Abia State Police Command is aware of a video circulating on social media claiming that 488 Boko Haram members were arrested in Abia State. This claim is false, misleading and intended to incite fear and unrest,” the statement read. “Residents are advised to go about their lawful activities without fear.”
Commissioner of Police CP Danladi Isa warned against the dissemination of false information intended to cause fear or civil unrest, stating that any individual found to be circulating such fake information would be arrested and prosecuted.
The footage is not new to fact-checkers. The video, originally a news report from Nigeria’s Channels Television, dates back to June 2014, when the suspects were reportedly arrested on the day police announced they had uncovered a plot to bomb a church in neighbouring Imo State. A statement issued by the Abia State government at the time ended with a request for all Nigerians to support “the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government in the fight against terrorism and insurgency”, Jonathan’s term ended in 2015. The clip had previously resurfaced online as recently as 2020, with similar false claims that the arrests had just taken place.
The reappearance of the video in 2026 follows a pattern of old security footage being repurposed to stir tension in Nigeria’s South-East, a region that has experienced heightened security concerns in recent years.
Rather than reacting to the fake news in isolation, the Abia Police Command used the opportunity to outline its genuine recent security achievements. The Command disclosed that from January to date, it has recorded significant operational successes in its sustained crackdown on cultism and related crimes. A total of 13 cult-related cases have been investigated, leading to the arrest and arraignment of 23 suspects who have since been remanded in correctional custody, with 32 arms recovered during these operations. Five additional cult-related cases are currently under interrogation.
The Command also flagged off the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices, targeting primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions across the state, aimed at combating cultism from the grassroots. Coordinated stop-and-search operations, robust patrols, and the deployment of Anti-Cultism Units and other tactical teams are ongoing across the state.
The police command concluded its statement with a firm appeal to the public to exercise restraint online. Residents were advised to “refrain from sharing or reposting unverified information” and to rely only on credible sources of news. The command’s statement ended with the appeal: “Together, let’s keep Abia safe by saying NO to misinformation.”
The incident highlights the persistent challenge of viral misinformation about security matters in Nigeria, where old footage frequently resurfaces on social media and WhatsApp platforms, sometimes triggering public panic and communal tensions before authorities are able to respond.