Has The President Deployed Soldiers To Recently Attacked Kwara Community?
The verified handle of an Ex-Media aide to the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the president on political and other matters, Ishaq Samaila, posted the picture of soldiers displaying high morale, with the claim soldiers have taken control of the town of Eruku on the orders of President Bola Tinubu. Eruku, a town in Kwara State, is where terrorists recently attacked a church, killing at least 3 people and abducting the pastor along with some members.
The post is captioned,
“ALHAMDULLAH!! THE MILITARY HAS TAKEN ACTION Nigerian soldiers have taken control of the town of Eruku in Kwara State, where terrorists attacked a church, killed Christians, and abducted the pastor along with some members. The military secured the town on the orders of the President, with a mandate to eliminate all traces of terrorism in the area and to rescue those who were abducted. This action is timely and appropriate. Any community taken over by terrorists should immediately be brought under military control, allowing the soldiers to address the terrorists in the language they understand. May Allah protect the Nigerian military and grant them victory over all terrorists.”
When this report was published, the post had about 228,000 views and over 2,500 replies, reposts, quotes, likes and bookmarks. In the comment section, @efe_edwards said “You mean after the terrorists have been warned secretly to leave the area? You people know what you’re doing in that country. But don’t worry karma is going to catch up with all of you!” while @CalebAloh wrote “How many bandits were eliminated? How many terrorists were arrested? How many kidnapped victims were rescued? Nonsense.”
VERIFICATION
NV-A subjected the image to reverse Google image search to ascertain its origin. The result shows that the picture was first used in December 2024, when the Nigerian military spoke about the use of drones to combat insurgency in the North-East. Further findings show that the image has been used by multiple news outlets, when writing stories concerning the military and its fight against insurgency.
Armed bandits had attacked the Christ Apostolic Church, CAC Oke-Isegun, in Eruku, Kwara State, during its evening service on November 18, 2025. The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the attack, describing it as “an attempted bandit attack.” A statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, Ejire Adetoun Adeyemi said operatives and vigilantes responded swiftly after gunshots were heard on the outskirts of the community. According to the statement, operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer in Eruku moved to the area, forcing the attackers to flee into the bush. A news report by Vanguard also confirms that following the attack, soldiers have taken over the town, on the orders of President Bola Tinubu.
CONCLUSION
The picture attached to the president's order over the deployment of soldiers to Oke-Isegun in Eruku, Kwara State, is MISLEADING. Although it is TRUE that the president has directed the deployment of soldiers to the community, the image used has been in circulation since December 2024.
