FACT-CHECK REPORT: Nigerian Soldiers, Not Zamfara Footballers Wielded AK-47 Rifles in New Video

FACT-CHECK REPORT: Nigerian Soldiers, Not Zamfara Footballers Wielded AK-47 Rifles in New Video

A video of some young men in Football Jersey all clutching to AK-47 rifles is currently circulating on WhatsApp, Facebook and social media platforms claiming that they were players of a football club in Zamfara going to play a match with guns. https://prnigeria.com/2023/09/28/footballers-ak-47-zamfara-club/

But facts and Intel gathered by PRNigeria reveals that the individuals in the video were not football players or civilians from Zamfara carrying AK-47 rifle to a match but Nigerian soldiers on a peace keeping operation during a inter-contingent football match in the Gambia.

The video which spread across multiple platforms was accompanied by the following text, “These are Players of a football club in Zamfara State going for a football match in a neighborhood town. Everybody is carrying an AK 47 rifle. Will they use the rifles as football whistles ??? Insecurity has taken complex dimensions in Nigeria with no probable solution from the Government. Things have totally gone sour.”

Many social media users including separatist, and religious figures among various other commentators expressed dismay and condemned the ‘situation.’

However, part of the verification of PRNigeria stated: “On a closer look at the video, one of the individuals in the same yellow and green Jersey with the team, bearing number “87” walking behind the squad but immediately in front of the camera recording the motion, was spotted clutching to a material that seem like Nigerian Military Camouflage – known in local parlance as Khaki – in his left arm clutched to his chest while the AK-47 rifle dangled on his right shoulder.

Just a step ahead by his right was another individual who happened not to be in Jersey himself but also had an AK-47 rifle dangling. A closer look revealed that he had dunned a Military “Khaki” trouser and a black shirt that had “Nigerian Army” boldly written on the back of the shirt.

When one of the rifles was zoomed closer, a numbering “ESDS 23” was detected. This number was put into an online search engine but there was no related result.

Our fact check desk then reached out to a military expert who explained that the numbering detected was in-line with microstamping and weapon serialising protocol of Militaries worldwide.

A deeper dive revealed that “weapon serialization” involves assigning a unique serial number or code to each firearm, including rifles issued to army officers. This serial number helps identify and track individual weapons for accountability, maintenance, inventory management, security, record keeping and security purposes.

While numbering rifles is a common practice, the specific procedures and policies can vary between different military organizations and countries.

When the video was broken into keyframes by fact checkers to run a reverse image search, the result only led to more videos on Tik Tok, Instagram and X with the same claim.

The Jersey was however zoomed for a closer look and another identification with semblance of military protocol and practice was detected. At the bottom of the shirt was written, “144……F.C.”. While the words in between were not clear enough for reading, it was clear enough that this may not be unconnected with a Nigerian Army unit.

Military formations are often designated by numbers as a part of a standardized naming and organizational system which likely indicate their place in the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army. The use of numbers is a standard practice in militaries worldwide and serves to provide a clear and systematic way to organize and refer to military formations.

Further Investigations by PRNigeria Fact Check Desk identified the individuals in the video as personnel of 144 BN.

The video was shot during an intercontingent football match between Nigerian troops and other contingents on peace keeping operations to commemorate a Special Day in the Gambia, a West-African country.

PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim that the video of young men in Jersey seen carrying rifles is that of players of a football club in Zamfara State going for a football match in a neighborhood town is FALSE.