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Claim: Social media users have claimed that a viral video showing individuals purported to be Christians being murdered took place in Nigeria.
Verdict: False. The footage did not originate from Nigeria but from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern Lubero Territory. It was first published in February 2025 and is linked to attacks reportedly carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
Full Text
Social media users, particularly on X, have widely shared a viral video claiming to show an incident in Nigeria. The footage allegedly depicts unknown armed individuals murdering people said to be Christians.
Some users, including @1BongoIdeas, posted: “In the northern parts of Nigeria, including Kwara State, Islamic terrorists have taken over whole towns. They round up innocent people, mostly Christians, and beat them to death. Just one day ago, a church was attacked, and the members had to run for their lives. President Tinubu has shown he is a weak leader who cannot protect his own people. That is why we are begging President Donald Trump to step in and stop this genocide. They kill people and still shout ‘Allahu Akbar!’ This is not right!”
Another user, @_therealbee_, wrote: “The killings from Nigeria are scary… What have these innocent people done to deserve this?”
A third account, @harry_specter, commented: “Oh my goodness!! Couldn’t go past the first 10 secs. Heart-wrenching. Nigeria is a failed state.”
DUBAWA found that the video began circulating widely on November 11, 2025, following a post by X user @1BongoIdeas. After his tweet, several other accounts reposted the same footage, increasing its reach. The video has garnered over 30,000 views, with many users urging the Nigerian government to take swift action.
Given ongoing reports of violence against Christians in Nigeria, DUBAWA conducted checks to verify whether the incident shown in the video actually occurred in Nigeria.
Verification
To verify the claim’s authenticity, DUBAWA conducted a Google reverse image search. The search led to a tweet posted nine months ago, on February 24, 2025, by user @emilyraustin, which attributed the video to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
DUBAWA also conducted a Yandex image search, which directed researchers to the full version of the footage. The complete video was found on the World Watch website, where it was also attributed to the DRC and published in February 2025. It revealed that the viral clip was only a portion of a 5-minute, 48-second video.
According to the caption on World Watch: “This week, local sources revealed the massacre of 70 Christians in DRC’s eastern Lubero Territory, near the country’s border with Uganda and Rwanda. While no group has formally taken responsibility for the attack, reports indicate that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were responsible.”
Additionally, in the video, a building bears the inscription: “Bureau Administratif et Communautaire. Chefferie des Walese-Vonkutu.” Using Google Translate, DUBAWA established that the text is French, meaning “Administrative and Community Office Chiefdom of the Walese-Vonkutu.” This can be found at 4:40 seconds of the video.
A search for the Chiefdom of the Walese-Vonkutu confirmed that it is located in the DRC. This was also supported by a Facebook post from United Nations Peacekeeping, showing the same location after a fire incident at the exact office on July 10, 2025.
Furthermore, a comparison of visuals revealed identical building features, particularly the blue-and-white exterior, in both the viral clip and the United Nations Peacekeeping footage.
Conclusion
The claim that the viral video shows Christians being murdered in Nigeria is false. Evidence confirms the incident occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo in February 2025, not in Nigeria. Misattributing such tragedies can misinform the public and fuel unnecessary panic.
