‎FACT CHECK: Old Niger Images Falsely Linked To Oyo Kidnapping

‎‎Social media users have circulated photographs showing children with visible bruises, cuts and welts, claiming they are among the pupils allegedly abducted during the May 2026 attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

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‎The posts suggest the injuries were inflicted on the kidnapped children while in captivity and have been shared widely to support narratives surrounding the abduction.

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‎Findings

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‎Checks conducted using Google Reverse Image search tools show that the photographs did not originate from the Oyo kidnapping incident.

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‎The images were publicly available online as far back as June 2020, nearly six years before the Oyo school abduction occurred.

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The earliest traces of the photographs were found in reports published by Nigerien media outlets and on social media platforms in June 2020. The reports identified the children as pupils at a Quranic school in Diffa, southeastern Niger, who had allegedly been subjected to severe corporal punishment by their teacher.

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‎Additional reports from Niger’s state-owned media confirmed that authorities investigated the incident and arrested a Quranic teacher accused of physically assaulting the children. The case reportedly led to legal proceedings and prompted discussions among regional authorities and religious leaders on improving oversight of Quranic schools and the welfare of students.

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‎The photographs were also credited to a Nigerien journalist who published them online in June 2020, further establishing that the images predate the Oyo kidnapping by several years.

‎No credible evidence links the pictures to any of the children abducted in Oyo State in May 2026.

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‎Background

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‎The claim emerged following the abduction of pupils and school personnel during an attack on schools in the Ahoro-Esiele area of Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, on May 15, 2026.

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‎While authorities and community groups provided differing figures regarding the number of victims, the incident generated widespread concern and attracted significant attention on social media.

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‎Amid the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the abductees, several misleading posts began circulating online, including claims that some victims had died in captivity and that photographs showing injured children were evidence of their condition.

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‎However, the Oyo State Police Command on Friday dismissed reports of any confirmed death among the abducted pupils, describing such claims as false and capable of creating unnecessary panic while rescue efforts were ongoing.

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‎Verdict: False.

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‎The photographs being shared as images of children abducted in Oyo State were not taken during the May 2026 school kidnapping.

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‎Because the images were published years before the Oyo abduction occurred, they cannot be authentic photographs of the kidnapped children.

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