Old Video of Attack in Imo State Misrepresented as Recent

Some people on social media have been sharing a video of an attack, claiming it happened in Imo State on Thursday, 11 June 2026.

“While we are here laughing on Facebook, terrorists have invaded somewhere in Imo State, leaving over 10 persons butchered,” a user named Vivian Irondi posted on Facebook on Friday, 11 June.

In the comments, many users asked her for more details about the attack, but she only sent the video clip.

Ms Irondi admitted that she did not know where the attack occurred, but kept sharing the clip.

As of Saturday morning, her Facebook post had 333 comments, 246 likes, and over 11 shares.

In the video reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, four bodies of slain family members were lying in what looked like a shop.

The bodies included two adult women, a girl, and a man, all surrounded by blood.

Some security operatives were seen filming the bodies while discussing the attack.

From their conversation, PREMIUM TIMES identified the location as Amanaogu Community in Ihitenansa, Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

At the same time, similar attacks were reported in nearby villages like Umukabia, Eziawa, Ihitte Nasa, Umuhu, Amaoku, and Amaebe, all in Orsu LGA.

This newspaper found out that the same video has been shared many times in various WhatsApp groups, especially in Imo State.

Verification, Old Video

PREMIUM TIMES checked the comments on Ms Irondi’s Facebook page and saw that while many expressed anger over the supposed incident, some users said the clip was old.

This newspaper reached out to a local journalist on Saturday morning, who confirmed that the attack actually happened in January 2025.

“There was no fresh attack. It is an old video of an attack last year, January, that people have been recirculating,” the journalist, who preferred to stay anonymous, told PREMIUM TIMES after viewing the clip.

He mentioned that many have been sharing the video in various WhatsApp groups, creating a false impression that the attack “just happened.”

“I was trying to tell them that it is an old video,” the journalist said.

“What happened was that, in 2025, some gunmen began to kill families frequently in Orsu, especially in beer parlours, but the community later found out that the attackers were cultists, not even a separatist group,” he explained.

Additionally, PREMIUM TIMES did a reverse image search of the video and found that it was first uploaded to Facebook in January 2025.

The clip was recorded in Amanaogu Community in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State when gunmen invaded and killed at least 11 people.

The attack took place between 5 and 8 January 2025.

It was reported by various Nigerian newspapers, including The Nation and The Punch.

Saharareporters also reported on the attack in January last year, showing the same image from the now-recirculated video clip.

Verdict

The claim that there was a recent deadly attack in Imo State, as seen in the video clip, is false and misleading.

The clip is an old video of an attack that occurred in January 2025, recirculated to make it seem like it happened recently.