On March 29, 2025, Nigerians awoke to a shocking social media claim alleging that an 18-seater bus carrying Igbo passengers had been torched in Kano State, just two days after the tragic lynching of 16 Hausa hunters in Uromi, Edo State, on March 27, 2025.
Shared by a Facebook user named D’naked Elder Zege’Orkwande, the post claimed that the bus attack was a violent retaliation by Fulani men, resulting in the deaths of all 18 passengers aboard.
Accompanied by images of a burnt vehicle, the claim quickly gained traction, intensifying fears and drawing attention amid an already tense national atmosphere.
The post reads: “AGGRESSIVE RETALIATION
BREAKING : An 18-seater bus carrying Igbo passengers was set on fïre in Kano. Pànic has spread across the Igbo community in the state as Fulani men go on a rampage, attàcking and k!lling any Igbo they come across in retaliation for the k!lling carried out by Edo hunters.
Tragically, 18 Igbos lost their lives this morning while traveling back to the East. A v!0lent Fulani mob ambushed their bus, set it ablaze, and left no survivors.”
The post, which garnered over 360 impressions, 246 comments, and 24 shares on Facebook, highlights how far this piece of misinformation has spread across the platform.
Uromi Killing of Northerners
The Uromi killings occurred on March 27, 2025, when a group of 16 Hausa hunters was lynched by a mob in Uromi, Edo State, following accusations of kidnapping.
The hunters, traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano for Sallah celebrations, were stopped by local vigilantes who discovered traditional hunting rifles in their vehicle.
This led to suspicions of criminal activity or banditry, and instead of involving the authorities, a mob attacked and set the hunters on fire.
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 the killings of hunters in Edo State.
With the use of Google Reverse Image Search, it was discovered that the article came from a report that Punch newspaper published on September 30, 2023. The news outlet reported an auto accident that involved a Toyota Hiace that got burnt, although its passengers escaped unhurt.
A video of the accident posted on Facebook by Punch on September 30, 2023, showed a complete view of the vehicle involved in the accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, conclusively proving that the image was falsely used and the claim of a retaliatory bus burning in Kano was entirely fabricated.
Verdict
The report claiming that an 18-seater bus conveying Igbo passengers was deliberately set on fire in Kano State as a retaliatory attack is entirely fake news, lacking any credible evidence and relying on misused images from an unrelated incident.
This fact-check helps to prevent inciting of ethnic tension or retaliatory violence, especially in a fragile national context already shaken by recent killings in Uromi community. It also safeguards public safety and order by countering the panic that could arise from the post which might otherwise prompt communities to take rash actions based on fear.
This verification has been produced with support from BO Foundation for inclusive media (BOFIM) and THE WITNESS .