Fact Check: Army's Video Evidence for Killing ISWAP Media Man is Seven Years Old

Almost two weeks after the Nigerian military said its troops killed a media operator of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) during a night raid in Borno State, it shared screenshots from a video. The military claimed the video showed ISWAP acknowledging the man’s death.

They named the killed operator as Abu Salim al-Barnawi. The military described him as a former terror leader who later became one of ISWAP’s top photographers and propaganda workers. The military argued that the obituary released by ISWAP showed the increasing pressure from troops under Operation Hadin Kai, which is a joint task force in the North-east.

Mohammed Goni, the acting spokesperson for the task force, said the killing of Mr al-Barnawi showed how weak the insurgents’ media operations had become.

But investigations by PREMIUM TIMES show that the video the military mentioned was made about seven years ago. This was long before the operation in which they claimed Mr al-Barnawi was killed.

The military’s claim has also spread widely online. By 22 July, their posts had gotten 2,000 likes, over 170 comments, and 154 shares on Facebook. On X, formerly Twitter, the post had reached 30,000 views, including 235 likes, 77 reposts, and 23 comments.

This has helped spread the claim to many users.

On 12 July, troops from Operation Hadin Kai fought off what the military called a failed ISWAP night attack at Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

According to Mr Goni, the troops killed an unnamed ISWAP cameraman and found a Sony camcorder with important intelligence.

He said the footage from the camera showed that four senior ISWAP commanders were working with three foreign terrorist facilitators. This included a Palestinian trainer and a Moroccan who was called a medical doctor.

Nine days later, Mr Goni issued another statement identifying the dead man as Mr al-Barnawi.

He described him as a former terror leader who had moved into ISWAP’s media department. His job was to film operations, photograph attacks, and create propaganda to attract new members.

To back up this claim, the military shared screenshots from what they called an ISWAP obituary video. They said the footage showed the group confirming Abu Salim’s death.

Mr Goni said, "The publication is a direct confirmation of the increasing pressure being exerted by Operation HADIN KAI."

He added, "It also reflects the growing difficulty the terrorists face in replacing experienced operatives who have been systematically eliminated through sustained military operations."

To verify this claim, PREMIUM TIMES did a frame-by-frame check of the video shared by the military. They looked at visual markers in the footage and examined the closing credits.

This newspaper also translated the Arabic narration using AI tools. An Arabic language expert later reviewed the translation for accuracy.

PREMIUM TIMES also spoke to researchers who have monitored Boko Haram and ISWAP media operations in the Lake Chad Basin for years.

Their findings were the same.

The obituary video is from about seven years before the military operation in July 2026.

A check of the closing frames shows the video was produced in the Islamic year 1441 AH. This translates to around 2019-2020 in the Gregorian calendar, which means the video was made years before the Cross Kauwa operation where the military claimed Mr al-Barnawi was killed.

Nothing in the footage indicates it was made recently or in response to the events of July.

Conflict researchers who track jihadist propaganda confirmed the dating.

Brant Philip, an analyst watching militant activities in the Sahel and Lake Chad, noted that the production markings in the video show it was released in 1441 AH.

He wrote on X, "This is just yet another example why you shouldn’t take anything at face value from such accounts."

He added, "If you look at the end of the video in the bottom right, you’ll see that firstly the video was released by JAS, not ISWAP, and secondly it says 1441H (2019/2020), which is six or seven years ago."

Malik Samuel, a conflict researcher at Good Governance Africa, reached a similar conclusion.

He said the production date matches events within Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), known as Boko Haram, after the death of its former leader, Abubakar Shekau.

Mr Samuel explained that JAS has not had anyone capable of making such a video since its media head, Bana Modu, left for ISWAP after Shekau's death.

Mr Modu became ISWAP’s media chief after taking over from Abu Rumaisa, who died in a suicide attack in 2024.

The Arabic narration also contradicts the military’s statement.

Instead of saying there was a recent battlefield death, the narrator traces Abu Salim’s activities back to 1439 AH (2017-2018). He explained that Abu Salim first made a name for himself as a fighter before joining the media department.

The narration explains that he later focused on filming battles, documenting military raids, and training others in audio production, video editing, and graphic design.

The eulogy calls him a martyr and urges followers to keep fighting, but it does not mention the Cross Kauwa operation or events from July 2026.

Part of the narration states:

"Our brother Abu Salim, the media operative, Yusuf bin Muhammad al-Barnawi, may God accept him.

"He was not only a media operative; he also led some raids against what the group calls the army of the disbelievers before returning safely with his brothers.

"Since 1439 AH, Brother Abu Salim developed coverage of battles and military raids. He later moved into training in audio and video production as well as graphic design."

The rest of the video mainly consists of chants and calls for supporters to continue the armed struggle.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Goni, he asked if they had listened to the Arabic narration in the video.

He insisted that the terrorists mentioned the date Abu Salim was killed.

Our reporter explained that the video was entirely in Arabic and asked for the version the military used.

Mr Goni said he would share it but had not done so by the time of this report, despite follow-up reminders.

This situation shows how important digital verification is in Nigeria’s fight against insurgents.

For more than ten years, the battle against Boko Haram and ISWAP has been fought not just with weapons but also through competing stories shared in official statements and propaganda videos.

Since independent journalists and researchers often cannot reach active battlefields, visual materials from the military and insurgents become part of public records. Analysts depend on production dates, logos, editing styles, and other clues to determine when such materials were made and if they support the claims being made.

This latest issue follows several disputes over official announcements from the battlefield.

In May, the military claimed to have killed senior ISWAP commander Abu Bilal al-Minuki during a joint operation with the United States.

This announcement raised questions as the Defense Headquarters had reported in April 2024 that another commander with the same name had already been killed.

Military officials later clarified that the two reports were about different individuals, explaining that Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders often share the same names to confuse intelligence work. The presidency also described the earlier report as a case of mistaken identity.

Years before, the military had also claimed the death of former Boko Haram leader Mr Shekau multiple times before his death was confirmed in 2021 after he blew himself up during a fight with rival ISWAP fighters.

Whether Mr al-Barnawi died during the Cross Kauwa operation is a separate matter that cannot be answered just from the obituary video.

The video the military presented as proof that ISWAP confirmed his death was made about seven years before the operation. This means it cannot, by itself, prove that the footage was a recent obituary related to his alleged killing.