FACT CHECK: Viral Video of ‘Herders in Oyo’ Actually from Sudan
A video circulating widely on social media has been presented as showing a group of unidentified people moving into or within Oyo State, raising alarm among users and prompting calls for security intervention. The clip, shared on June 13, 2026, by accounts including @Oolusore and @Crownprincecom2, on X formerly (Twitter) has gained traction, racking […]
A video circulating widely on social media has been presented as showing a group of unidentified people moving into or within Oyo State, raising alarm among users and prompting calls for security intervention.
The clip, shared on June 13, 2026, by accounts including @Oolusore and @Crownprincecom2, on X formerly (Twitter) has gained traction, racking up more than 311,000 views, alongside thousands of likes, reposts, and comments.
The claims come against the backdrop of Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, from farmer–herder clashes and banditry in to insurgency and sporadic communal violence. In such a climate, videos showing large movements of people or livestock often trigger anxiety and are easily interpreted as imminent threats.
But a closer look tells a different story.
Findings
Using InVID, a video verification tool, alongside Google reverse image search, checks by Daily Trust traced the footage to earlier posts across multiple platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.
The earliest verifiable instances of the video date back to April 2026, weeks before it surfaced in the Nigerian context.
One such post, shared on April 19, 2026, by X user @abdelrazigousife, links the footage to escalating conflict in Sudan’s Blue Nile State. According to the post, the movement captured in the video shows Sudanese nomadic groups preparing to cross into Ethiopia’s Gambella region with their livestock, as violence forces displacement.
Further corroboration came from an Instagram post dated April 21, 2026, by user @wd_alfarade_482, who described the video as depicting the migration of a tribe driven from their homes by war. The post suggests that the displacement reflects broader humanitarian consequences of the ongoing conflict, including the loss of livelihoods tied to livestock.
There is no credible evidence, whether from the video’s visual features, terrain, or available metadata, to support the claim that it was recorded in Oyo State or anywhere in Nigeria.
Verdict
Misleading
The viral video does not show events in Oyo State. Instead, it captures displaced herders in Sudan, likely moving in response to conflict in the region. Claims linking the footage to Nigeria misrepresent both its origin and context, fuelling unnecessary alarm.