Misleading terrorism images threaten public trust – Group warns

… demands probe into disinformation campaign 

A civic advocacy group, Democracy Watch Frontiers (DWF), has condemned the circulation of misleading images on social media portraying Senegalese children as Nigerian victims of terrorism, describing the act as a dangerous disinformation campaign capable of undermining national security efforts and public trust.

The group, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Danjuma Ahmed, called for a thorough investigation into those behind the dissemination of the images, saying the images were deliberately deployed to discredit the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and create panic among Nigerians.

According to DWF, preliminary fact-checks showed that the photographs being circulated on social media platforms, particularly X, did not originate from Nigeria and were unrelated to any recent terrorist incident in the country.

The group explained that the images were first shared in 2020 by a Senegalese social media user and depicted Talibé children allegedly subjected to abuse in a Koranic school in Senegal.

DWF warned that falsely presenting such images as evidence of ongoing atrocities in Nigeria was not only unethical but also harmful to families already affected by terrorism and kidnapping.

The group said “To be sure, all Nigerians, especially the parents of abducted school children, know how painful and agonising it is to have young people tortured by terrorists. The administration of President Bola Tinubu is doing everything within its power to ensure that kidnapped children and other victims of insecurity are rescued and reunited with their families. However, the attempt to falsely present old images from Senegal as evidence of recent atrocities in Nigeria is irresponsible, unethical and dangerous. Such actions not only misinform the public but also risk inflaming tensions and creating unnecessary panic among citizens.”

The group urged Nigerians to verify information through credible sources before sharing it online and called on social media users, civil society organisations and media practitioners to play active roles in combating misinformation.

DWF also urged security agencies and relevant government institutions to identify and prosecute individuals involved in originating and spreading false narratives capable of threatening national stability.