FACT-CHECK: Viral Video of ‘Attack’ at Asaba Airport Shows Security Drill, Not Real Attack
BY: Oluwatoyin Hawal Momolosho
Claim:
A viral video circulating on social media shows gunmen attacking the Asaba International Airport in Delta State.
Verdict:
False. The video does not show an actual attack on Asaba International Airport. It was recorded during a planned security simulation conducted as part of the 2026 Rapid Response 3 (RR3) Crisis Response Exercise.
Full Text:
A video showing armed security personnel moving through what appears to be an airport terminal has been circulating on social media with claims that gunmen attacked the Asaba International Airport in Delta State.
The footage shows security personnel carrying weapons while people are seen lying on the floor inside the airport.
A Facebook user, Yemi Akintunde, shared the video with a caption claiming that gunmen had invaded the airport and that the Army and Police were engaged in a fierce gun battle with the attackers.
The claim has generated reactions online, with some users interpreting the footage as evidence of an actual attack.
However, a review of the circumstances surrounding the video shows that the incident was not a terrorist attack.
What does the video actually show?
The video was recorded during a crisis-response simulation conducted in Asaba as part of the 2026 Rapid Response 3 (RR3) exercise.
According to the Airport Police Command, the exercise was organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and took place from September 7 to 11, 2026.
The exercise involved security and emergency-response agencies simulating responses to possible security threats.
One of the simulated scenarios took place at the Asaba International Airport, while another was conducted along the Benin-Asaba Expressway.
The exercise was therefore designed to look like an emergency situation, including the deployment of armed security personnel and simulated victims.
Was there an actual attack?
There is no evidence that gunmen attacked the airport during the incident shown in the video.
The Airport Police Command dismissed reports of a terrorist attack at the airport and explained that the activities were part of an authorised security exercise.
The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation also described the RR3 exercise as a multi-agency simulation intended to test the country’s preparedness and response to complex emergencies and security incidents.
This indicates that the video itself is authentic, but the context attached to it is false. The people and security personnel seen in the footage were participating in a planned simulation rather than responding to an actual invasion by gunmen.
Why did the video appear to show a real attack?
As a result, footage showing armed personnel moving through an airport, people lying on the ground and an apparent security response can easily be mistaken for footage of a genuine attack when separated from its original context.
In this case, the footage was not necessarily fabricated. Rather, it was misrepresented by attaching a false description to a genuine security exercise.
Conclusion:
The viral video shows a planned crisis-response simulation conducted at the airport as part of the 2026 Rapid Response 3 exercise organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser. The Airport Police Command clarified that there was no terrorist attack or security breach at the airport during the exercise.
Therefore, while the video is genuine, the claim that it shows gunmen attacking Asaba International Airport is false.
