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Introduction
The insecurity in Nigeria’s South-east has reduced drastically since the life imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the conviction of his disciple, Simon Ekpa, also the group’s factional leader.
The series of attacks which have held the region down since 2021 after Kanu was arrested in Kenya and brought to Nigeria to continue with his terrorism trial, were linked to IPOB and Ekpa’s autopilot faction.
The terrorism in the South-east led to the deaths of many security operatives, including police officers and soldiers, civilians and huge economic losses over the years.
A leading Nigerian investigative newspaper, Premium Times, on 1 July, with concrete data, disclosed that attacks and killings linked to the outlawed IPOB and other pro-Biafra groups in Nigeria’s South-east declined significantly in 2025, about one year after the controversial Biafra agitator, Ekpa, was jailed in Finland.
CrimeFacts News also reported last year how security agencies continue to burst illegal camps linked to pro-Biafran groups.
Claim
Fast forward to July, the seventh month of 2026, the region is gradually witnessing peace.
Two X pages have published a video clip that claims to show shops and vehicles allegedly set ablaze by soldiers in Awonmanma community, in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State recently.
One of the X users, @Goziedragon∅∅7, claimed on 4 July that the incident occurred in Awonmanma recently, adding that “Imo State, where the Nigerian illegitimate governor is inviting the reintegrated terrorist army against the indigenous people of Bịafra.”
According to him, “@Govhopeuzodinma is under the instructions of Abuja to burn houses and businesses of our people back home.”
Another X page, Eastern Heritage Network also posted the same clip alongside the same claim.
Many X users who commented on the two posts, were gripped with fears and tension.
“This is absolutely unacceptable in Imo State. We Imo residents absolutely condemn this act,” Uzochukwu Ohale, a sad X user lamented.
Verification
FACTWATCH Nigeria typed in keywords like “shops in Awomamma set on fire by soldiers”, on Google and found that the incident happened in November 2021.
TheCable, an online newspaper, on its Facebook page, shared the clip on 22 November of that year.
Oriental Times and other Facebook pages also published the video during that time here and here.
Vanguard newspaper later reported that different versions of the story said trouble started when unknown gunmen in their convoy attacked soldiers, killing one soldier.
Pained by the alleged killing of one of the soldiers, the soldiers allegedly mobilised to the area and visited the place in anger.
The newspaper also reported that the Imo State government described the action of the soldiers, who allegedly burnt houses, shops, and vehicles of residents of the Imo community in retaliation for one of the soldiers allegedly killed by unknown gunmen in the area, as an ” inappropriate response.
But the Nigerian army later denied being involved in the incident.
In a statement, the military insisted that they only went to the scene to disperse members of the IPOB Eastern Security Network (ESN) who were compelling people to comply with the Monday sit-at-home order.
Verdict
The video, which claimed to show a recent burning of shops and vehicles by the soldiers in the Imo community, is MISLEADING.
Findings have shown that it is a deliberate attempt by the X pages to create tension and fear among the residents living in the South-east.
Credit: FACTWATCHNIGERIA
