Imagine waking up to whispers of a hidden jungle runway smuggling cocaine into Nigeria, right under everyone’s nose.
That’s exactly what a slick TikTok video tried to sell on October 29, 2025.
Drone shots swooped over thick Argungu forest in Kebbi State. A grave voiceover claimed a retired customs officer built a secret airstrip to flood the country with hard drugs.
The clip exploded. Shares rocketed across TikTok, X, and WhatsApp groups before sunrise.
Panic mixed with outrage. “They’re killing our kids!” one viral caption screamed.
But by morning, the truth crashed the party.
Kebbi State Government spokesman Yahaya Sarki fired first. “Total falsehood,” he said in a statement released at dawn. “Argungu has no airport, no airstrip, nothing.”
He named the only real runway in the state: Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi.
Hours later, Police Commissioner CP Bello Sani doubled down. Speaking from headquarters, he branded the video “mischievous fabrication” meant to smear the state.
“No drug bust. No secret flights. No retired officer. All lies,” he declared.
Officials say the footage was stitched from random drone clips, generic forest, no proof, no location tags.
Yet thousands believed it. One X user posted blurry “handcuff photos” that turned out to be old stock images.
Another claimed “locals saw planes at night.” No one produced a single witness.
Why the hoax? Some point to politics. Kebbi borders Niger Republic, long a smuggling corridor. Muddying the water hurts anti-crime efforts.
Others see pure clout-chasing. The original TikTok account? Gone by noon.
Both government and police warned: spreading fake news risks public peace and could land you in jail under Nigeria’s cyber laws.
By evening, the rumor was dead. Hashtags faded. Shares stopped.
But the scare left a mark. One mother in Birnin Kebbi told reporters she kept her son home from school, terrified of “drug planes.”
In a country battling real trafficking, fiction hit too close to truth.
Kebbi leaders now urge calm and critical thinking. Next time a video screams scandal, demand proof.
Because in 2025, a 30-second clip can spark chaos. But facts? They still shut it down.
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