A viral tweet on X, formerly Twitter has claimed that Fulani terrorists set fire to the yam market located in the Plateau state, Nigeria.
The post tagged the former Bashir Ahmad, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, as special assistant on digital communications while insinuating that the so-called Arewa influencers turn a blind eye whenever the crimes of the Fulani are mentioned.
The post has garnered over 6,602 likes, 6,600 views, 5,000 reshares, and 1,000 comments, highlighting how far this piece of misinformation has spread across the platform.
Image of the post
Background
In March 2025, Plateau State, Nigeria, experienced a significant escalation in violence attributed to Fulani herdsmen. On March 23, suspected Fulani militants ambushed villagers in Dundu, Bassa Local Government Area, resulting in the deaths of three individuals: John Avia (48), Sunday Vickson (32), and Peter Vickson (30).
In a report by Reuters, on April 7, Gunmen have killed at least 52 people and displaced nearly 2,000 others over several days of attacks in Nigeria’s northern Plateau state, which has a history of violence between farmers and cattle herders, the national emergency agency said.
The reason for the attacks in six villages in Plateau’s Bokkos district last week was not immediately known but it is the worst outbreak of violence since December 2023, when more than 100 people were killed in the same district.
Similarly, SaharaReporters reported on April 8, that militants attacked which resulted in the tragic deaths of three Irigwe residents: Yakubu Mali (48), Mangwa Ive (40), and Ezra Riti (51). This attack came just one day after the Irigwe community celebrated the Zrrechi festival, a significant cultural event for the people.
VERIFICATION
To determine the accuracy of this alarming claim, a thorough verification process was undertaken, examining the images through reverse image search and news reports since the report of Fulani terrorists set fire to the yam market located in the Plateau state, Nigeria.
With the use of Google Reverse Image Search, it was observed that this image has been circulating on since 28 March, 2021. According to a report by AIT, Namu, the Headquarters of Quaanpan Local government area of Plateau State was thrown into confusion following a fire incident which destroyed food items and other valuables worth millions of naira on Sunday Night, 28, March 2021. at the popular Namu Yam Market.
Report by Africa Independence Television (AIT)
Similarly, the video picture have also been circulating on Facebook which was posted by two different individuals Tilapa with zero impression and Back To Farm has the impression of 5 likes, 5 comments and 1 person share it, attributing it to the same Fire incident in Plateau State in 2021.
Pic-Mix of the Facebook posts.
The post, which garnered zero impressions on Tilapa and only 5 likes and 5 comments when shared on Back to Farm, gained significant traction when reposted on X (formerly Twitter) by Citizens Observer in April 2025, however, with a false claim.
Verdict
The claim in a viral tweet on X (formerly Twitter) that Fulani terrorists set fire to the yam market in Plateau State, Nigeria, is misleading. Investigations show that the incident was a fire outbreak that occurred on March 28, 2021, not a recent attack as reported on April 3, 2025.
This fact-check is important because it corrects a misleading claim that could incite ethnic tension, promotes accurate public discourse, and helps prevent the spread of harmful misinformation.
This verification has been produced with support from BO Foundation for inclusive media (BOFIM) and THE WITNESS .