Viral photo used by CBN was from a 2020 Borno massacre, not a 2025 Christian massacre

By Ibrahim: fact-check & publishing

This picture from CBN News circulating online again with the headline “Muslims Murder 25 Christians…” does not show that event.

The picture above circulating online again with the headline “Muslims Murder 25 Christians…” does not show that event. The image appears to be from the mass killings of farmers in Borno State in November 2020 (Koshebe/Zabarmari area), and fact-checkers found CBN used it out of context in April 2025. CBN removed the clip after the misuse was exposed. But it seems it's now using it again on Facebook, because it has resurfaced in November 2025 for some malicious reasons after Trump threatened invasion of Nigeria over purported Christian genocide in happening Nigeria.

To answer the question circulating online as at the moment of writing this,

Do Christians shrowd their dead in white cloths just like how Muslims do before burying?

The answer is Yes, some Christians do wrap their dead in white cloths, but it depends on the church tradition.

In many older Christian groups (especially Orthodox, some Catholic communities, and some African traditional churches), the body may be washed and wrapped in a plain white cloth. White is seen as a sign of purity and resurrection.

But most modern Christian churches, however, don’t follow this method anymore. They usually dress the person in normal clothes and place them in a coffin. The white-shroud style is not a strict rule the way it is in Islam.

So the practice exists in Christianity, but it’s not universal or required the way Islamic burial is.

Who really appears in that viral photo?

Tracing the image CBN used, and why it’s misleading...

Key evidence shows that the image is from 2020, and not a 2025 Christian massacre)

Date and context in original reports: Multiple international outlets published photos and videos of funerals for the Koshebe/Zabarmari victims on 29–30 Nov 2020; captions and reporting attribute the images to that specific attack.
Funeral rites visible in the photo: visual analysis shows mourners standing in the formation typical of Islamic funeral prayers and bodies wrapped in white cloths — details FIJ highlighted as consistent with the 2020 farmer burials.
Fact-checker timeline: FIJ’s April 2025 report documents that the exact photo had been published before and that using it to illustrate a different event is misleading. FIJ also reported that CBN removed the offending clip after the exposure.

Why this matters

Misinformation fuels tension. Misattributing images to different victims inflames sectarian emotions and makes conflict reporting unreliable.
Journalistic duty. Newsrooms and NGOs must verify the provenance of dramatic photos before using them to illustrate ongoing stories. When outlets mix images from unrelated events, they damage trust and can worsen real-world harm.

Viral photo used by CBN recently is from a 2020 Koshebe massacre, and not a new Christian massacre.

A photo has been widely shared again with the claim “Muslims murder 25 Christians.” It is being circulated out of context.

Independent verification shows the image matches funeral photos from the Koshebe / Zabarmari farmer massacre in Borno State on 28 November 2020, not a fresh 2025 massacre of Christians.

Fact-checkers raised the alarm in April 2025 after the image appeared in a CBN broadcast; CBN later removed the clip, but somehow, it has now resurfaced.

How the picture was traced

Fact-checkers used reverse image searches and matched the viral photo to archival reporting on the Koshebe attack, in which dozens to more than 100 farm workers were slaughtered while harvesting rice.

International outlets, including Al Jazeera, The Guardian and VOA published photos and video of burials and funerals in late November 2020.

The scene in those 2020 images (bodies wrapped and mourners gathered for funeral rites) aligns with the viral picture.

The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) published a detailed fact-check on 23 April 2025 showing that CBN used an older photo to illustrate a different event.

FIJ concluded the image was misrepresentative and documented that CBN removed the clip after FIJ’s report.

What the original pictures show

The source images from 2020 show funerals for victims of a massacre blamed on Islamist militants operating in northeast Nigeria. United Nations officials and multiple news agencies reported the incident at the time, and those articles carry dates and captions that place the photo squarely in November 2020. That timeline makes clear that republishing the image to represent a separate 2025 incident is misleading.

Why misusing images is dangerous

Images have high emotional power. Reusing a graphic photo from one tragedy to illustrate another, especially when the victims’ identities and contexts differ, can:

Stoke sectarian anger.
Spread false narratives about who is responsible.
Undermine legitimate reporting on real attacks.

Journalists and media organisations must verify an image’s provenance, date, location, and original source, before using it in new reports.

CBN should publish a correction naming the original photo source and explaining how the error occurred. FIJ reported that CBN removed the clip; a formal correction is the responsible follow-up.
Readers should be wary of dramatic headlines that come with unverified images. Use reverse image tools or trust reputable fact-check sites before sharing.
Publishers should attach captions and photo credits to every image, and avoid unsourced visual re-use.

🔍 What My Investigation Shows About the Image Misrepresentation

According to FIJ (Fact-checking outlet), that same image (or a very similar one) has been used before by CBN, but not in a report about Christian victims.

- FIJ says the photo actually shows Muslim farmers who were killed, not Christian victims.
- In the original version (according to FIJ), the bodies are wrapped “from head to toe” in white cloths, tied with rope in a zig-zag pattern.
- FIJ also notes that the mourners in the image are performing a funeral prayer in a manner consistent with Islamic tradition. Agejis are also visible in the image.

✅ Final Verdict:

The image is misused or misattributed by CBN
The image seems to have originally been published in the context of Muslim victims, not Christian ones.
Based on what’s publicly available, the claim on the image: “Muslims Murder 25 Christians …” appears to be false or misleading.

Sources:

FIJ — CBN Misuses Picture of Murdered Muslim Farmers to Depict Nigerian Christian Terror Victims (23 Apr 2025).
FIJ follow-up — After FIJ’s Story, CBN Removes Clip Containing Misleading Image (27 Apr 2025).
Al Jazeera — coverage of the Koshebe/Zabarmari massacre (29 Nov 2020).
The Guardian — At least 110 dead coverage (29 Nov 2020).
VOA — funeral images and reporting from Nov 2020.