A video shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, purports to show Niger’s army training to deal with plotters of a recent coup in the country.

A strange picture of the training of the Niger army to deal with the coup plotters! pic.twitter.com/iuVnAIf944

— Sprinter (@Sprinter99800) July 31, 2023

Verdict: Misleading

The video stems from a July 2022 article published by the website “Top Naija” and shows the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Nigeria.

Fact Check:

Leaders of the recent coup in Niger have refused to let Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland meet with President Mohamed Bazoum, according to Politico. The leaders have also rejected diplomatic efforts to end the coup and restore civilian rule to the country, The New York Times reported.

“A strange picture of the training of the Niger army to deal with the coup plotters!” the X video, viewed over 200,000 times, purports. In the video, a large group of young men can be seen practicing self-defense.

The claim is false, however. The video stems from a July 2022 article published by the website “Top Naija” and shows the NYSC in Nigeria. The article indicates the NYSC corps members were practicing martial arts at a camp in Benue to “protect themselves against the scourge of banditry.”

A Facebook iteration of the video shared by Ambrose Alli University in Ekpoma, Nigeria featured a similar caption.

Likewise, the X video purporting to show Niger’s army has not been included in any credible news reports about the recent coup in the country. The claim is also neither referenced on the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF)’s website nor its social media accounts. The MJTF is a multinational military organization comprised of Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger, according to its bio on its X account.

The NYSC is built on 15 objectives, including developing common ties among Nigerian youths and promoting unity, removing prejudices and eliminating ignorance, and instilling discipline, hard work, and patriotism. (RELATED: Video Claims To Show Burkina Faso President After 2023 Russia Summit)

Check Your Fact has contacted the NYSC in Nigeria for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.