TheCable

A video circulating on Twitter has claimed that operatives of the Nigerian Army shot and killed a miscreant trying to sabotage the presidential election in an unnamed polling unit. 

In the video posted on Saturday by @EkeminNelson, men brandishing firearms could be seen riding up on two motorcycles to a purported polling unit where they demolished cubicles and ballot boxes. 

One of the miscreants was then shot dead as coordinated military personnel emerged from a different corner.

 “Army Guns Down Boys trying to scatter the election,” the Twitter user claimed.

“This isn’t your usual election!”

Meanwhile, a voice behind the video clearly said: ‘Chale’ which is a Ghanian slang meaning ‘buddy or friend’

Army Guns Down Boys trying to scatter the election.

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This isn't your usual election!

Abuja to Lagos Peter Gregory Obi Obi datti Election2023
firsttimevote NO LP pic.twitter.com/S2lyZjDdod

— Selman's Son (@EkeminiNelson) February 25, 2023

The video has garnered over 75,000 views, 270 retweets, and 557 likes. 

VERIFICATION

Multiple screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image searches via Labnol, a digital tool used to discover the source of a picture and visually similar images from the internet.

Checks by TheCable revealed that the circulating footage is from an old video from Ghana posted on Twitter as far back as December 2020. 

A Twitter user, @KBOwusuAnsah shared the video with the caption: “Ghana police drill. Don’t joke around today. The past of carrying ballot boxes is gone”. 

Ghana police drill. Don’t joke around today. The past of carrying ballot boxes is gone. #GhanaDecides pic.twitter.com/ka2gaLIXYC

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— K.B Owusu-Ansah (@KBOwusuAnsah) December 7, 2020

Thedistin, a Ghana-based news outlet, Thedistin, also published the video in November 2020. 

Providing the necessary context, the media platform said the video was an excerpt from a simulation exercise conducted by the Ghanaian police in preparation for the 2020 Ghana presidential election. 

VERDICT

The video posted has been in existence since 2020 and was filmed in Ghana, not at any of the polling units in Nigeria where the presidential election is ongoing.