A video circulating on social media claims to show a two-turret armoured vehicle and other military trucks moving toward the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
The 10-second clip shows soldiers on an armoured vehicle driving past a signpost labelled “INEC Headquarters.”
A Facebook account, Kabiru Ibrahim Dankasa posted the video with a caption:
“Pres Tinubu deploys tanks to the INEC Headquarters following the threat of an ADC protest, but fails to deploy tanks to protect the people of Jos.”
The post has generated over 6,800 likes and more than 800 likes.
An X user, @SadiqMaunde, shared the video with the caption:
“See what Tinubu deployed to INEC office!”
As of the time of review, the post had generated over 2,000 likes, 560 reposts, and more than 300 quote posts.
CLAIM
The video shows military deployment of armoured vehicles to INEC headquarters in Abuja.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
The video surfaced amid heightened political tension following INEC’s announcement that it would not recognise factions of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark and Rafiu Bala, citing a court of appeal order to maintain the status quo pending resolution of the leadership dispute.
The development triggered speculation about a possible protest by supporters of the Mark-led faction at INEC headquarters in Abuja. On Thursday, security operatives, including soldiers and armoured personnel carriers, were indeed deployed around the commission’s headquarters at Zambezi Crescent, Maitama.
Images of the security deployment were widely shared and reported by multiple media outlets.
However, checks by The FactCheckHub show that the circulating video is not authentic.
Analysis of the footage indicates that it was generated using artificial intelligence. The video appears to be based on an earlier image showing security deployment at the INEC headquarters but has been digitally altered.
Some tyres were seen moving on their own in the video while the signboard carrying Maitama Crescent looks suspended in the air without any hanger, a clear sign that the video is synthetic.
We geolocated the INEC HQ’s address, and the result is inconsistent with what is in the video. For instance, the entrance shown in the video is blue-coloured, which does not match the actual INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Additionally, the signpost in the video reads “Maitama Crescent,” whereas the official address of the INEC headquarters is Zambezi Crescent, Maitama.
Further checks show no credible media reports confirming the movement of such a two-turret armoured vehicle toward the INEC office as depicted in the video.
VERDICT
The claim that the video shows armoured vehicles moving toward INEC headquarters in Abuja is MISLEADING. The video is AI-generated and does not depict a real event.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.