Nearly two weeks after the Nigerian military announced that its troops had killed a media operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) during a night attack in Borno State, it released screenshots from a video it said showed the terrorist group acknowledging the man’s death.
The military identified the slain operative as Abu Salim al-Barnawi, describing him as a former terror commander who later became one of ISWAP’s chief photographers and propaganda operatives. It argued that the obituary released by the group demonstrated the growing pressure being mounted by troops under Operation Hadin Kai, a joint task force in the North-east.
The acting spokesperson for the task force, Mohammed Goni, said the killing of Mr al-Barnawi reflected the deterioration of the insurgents’ media machinery.
However, PREMIUM TIMES’s findings have shown that the video cited by the military was produced about seven years ago, long before the operation in which it claimed Mr al-Barnawi was killed.
The military’s claim has also gained significant traction online. As of 22 July, its posts had attracted 2,000 likes, over 170 comments and 154 shares on Facebook. On X (formerly Twitter), the post had garnered 30,000 views, including 235 likes, 77 reposts and 23 comments.
