By SpyeTV,
The Nigerian Army and the Sokoto State Police Command have debunked a viral social media report claiming that more than 100 civilians, 10 soldiers and a Mobile Police officer were killed in an alleged attack on a community in Sokoto State.
The claim, published by a Facebook page, Hausaland Magazine, on October 5, 2026, alleged that armed men attacked a community identified as “Garin Gobir Gindin,” killing more than 100 civilians and security personnel, while kidnapping several others.
The post, which described the alleged incident as a “genocide” and a “war on Hausa,” attributed the attack to “Fulani terrorists” and claimed that the death toll was rising.
However, a fact-checking investigation by SpyeTV News established that the claim was false, with security authorities denying that any such attack occurred in the state.
The viral post included an image showing several motionless individuals, some dressed in military-style clothing and others in civilian attire. It also attracted comments from social media users who appeared to accept and amplify the allegations, with some making inflammatory statements targeting ethnic groups.
As part of its verification process, SpyeTav searched geographical databases and community gazettes relating to Sokoto State but found no record of a community known as “Garin Gobir Gindin.”
The investigation also identified a date discrepancy in the post. While the publication claimed the attack occurred on Tuesday, October 5, 2026, that date fell on a Monday.
SpyeTV News further subjected the accompanying image to a Google reverse-image search to establish its origin and determine whether it had previously appeared online in connection with another incident. The search, however, produced no credible source linking the image to the alleged attack in Sokoto.
Reacting to the report, the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army and Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, dismissed the allegation.
“There was no such attack involving the reported mass casualties in the state,” he said.
Similarly, the Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ahmed Rufa’i, refuted the claim, stating, “This incident did not occur within Sokoto.”
SpyeTV News review of verified security reports across the North-West also found no mass-casualty incident matching the description circulated by Hausaland Magazine.
The investigation, however, identified a separate attack on Sunday, October 4, 2026, in Ungushi village, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where bandits reportedly killed two people and injured another. The incident was confirmed by the Sokoto State Police Command.
We noted that the Ungushi attack did not correspond with the location, casualty figures or circumstances described in the viral publication.
The false report has raised concerns about the potential spread of misinformation capable of heightening ethnic tensions, provoking hostility and creating unnecessary panic, particularly in communities already affected by insecurity.
SpyeTV News therefore concluded that the claim that more than 100 civilians, 10 Nigerian soldiers and a Mobile Police officer were killed in an attack on “Garin Gobir Gindin” in Sokoto State was false.
The investigation underscores the importance of verifying security-related information through credible sources before sharing potentially inflammatory claims on social media.