FACT CHECK: Is this a Nigerien soldier firing gun into his mouth to prove bulletproof charm?

CLAIM: Nigerien soldier purportedly shooting himself in the mouth and spitting out the bullets, to demonstrate black power bulletproof. The video was posted by Mr Daniel Bwala, an ally of perennial presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

VERDICT: False! The soldier is not Nigerien.

FULL TEXT

In the last week of July, military officers led by former Head of Presidential Guard, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, overthrew the democratic government of President Mohamed Bazoum, and installed the former as Head of State.

The coup plotters list, among other things, rising insecurity and a lack of economic growth was justification for their action.

International organizations like the Economic Community of West African States, the United Nations and the African Union, have condemned the coup and are calling for the restoration of democratic government.

ECOWAS, which is headed by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, had threatened military intervention if the junta failed to reinstate Bazoum as President. This threat by ECOWAS generated mixed reactions especially from Nigerians. Many argued that the country’s military is overwhelmed with the fight against insurgency already, and should not start a war with Niger.

READ ALSO:FACT CHECK: Is Nyesom Wike the first Southern Minister of FCT?

In one of his numerous Twitter posts on the matter, Bwala posted a video in which a soldier is seen picking up different kinds of guns to shoot himself in the mouth and spitting out the bullet. This, he did to demonstrate his black power against bullets.

Bwala wrote in the post: “This Niger soldier tried his charm with three different sets of guns. Omo this people are serious about their regime ohh. ECOWAS Abeg trade with caution.”

VERIFICATION

Ripples Nigeria did a reverse check on screenshots of the video and found that it is old. The video first went viral in 2019.

Ripples Nigeria found the person in the video is not a Nigerien soldier as Bwala claimed. A report by French 24 Observer confirms that the video was shot in war-ravaged South Sudan, and that the soldiers in the video are South Sudanese

Although, the international news network did a forensic analysis of the video and found that it may have been a stunt. “The video is a set-up, designed to intimidate the president’s opponents,” the report read in part.

The report confirmed that the man was a colonel in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

CONCLUSION

The man shooting himself to prove he has voodoo is not Nigerien as Bwala claimed, but South sudanese.

By Olúwatóbi Ọdé̩yínká

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now