Nigerian Army Debunks Viral Video of Arms Dealer Arrest as Misleading, Calls for Responsible Social Media Usage
By Our Defence Correspondent
The Nigerian Army has debunked a widely circulated video on social media purporting to show the recent arrest of a foreign arms dealer in Zamfara State, describing it as outdated and deliberately misleading.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, Acting Director of Army Public Relations, the Army clarified that the individual featured in the video — 30-year-old Nigerien national, Shehu Ali Kachalla — was actually apprehended over four years ago in a joint intelligence-led operation by the Zamfara State Police Command on May 14, 2021. The operation also involved operatives from the Federal Intelligence Bureau (FIB) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) of the Nigeria Police Force.
Kachalla had confessed to supplying over 450 rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition to armed criminal gangs across Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger States. However, the Army emphasized that the arrest had no direct involvement of its personnel and that no soldier was ever indicted in the case.
Read Also:
“The resurgence of the old video on social media is therefore, at best, aimed at misinforming the public, while undermining the ongoing counter-terrorism and anti-banditry efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces,” the statement said.
Lt. Col. Anele reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s zero-tolerance policy toward unprofessional conduct and assured that any personnel found culpable of misconduct are always subjected to appropriate disciplinary actions in line with the Armed Forces Act and other military regulations.
The Army also issued a stern warning to content creators and social media influencers, urging them to verify the authenticity and timing of content before disseminating such materials, to avoid inciting panic and mistrust.
“We urge the general public to disregard the recirculated video as outdated and misleading,” Anele stated. “The Nigerian Army remains resolute in its constitutional mandate to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will continue to work with sister security agencies and communities to stamp out all forms of criminality.”
The clarification comes at a time when heightened security efforts are ongoing across Nigeria’s troubled northwest, and military authorities fear that disinformation may erode public confidence in the fight against banditry and terrorism.
