By Daniel Adaji An X account, ADC Vanguard, @ADCvanguard, posted a video claiming that Isa Ali Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, was seen with thugs carrying weapons at a political engagement in Gombe state.
The post was made at 8:19pm on April 15, 2026. As of the time of this verification, the post had garnered 79,200 views, 479 likes, 108 reposts and 63 comments.
“Flash: Sheikh Pantami was spotted with thugs carrying heavy weapons on his way to a political engagement. His desperation to become the Governor of Gombe State is becoming increasingly disheartening,” ADC Vanguard posted.
Given the sensitivity of the allegation, Daily Trust conducted a verification.
The individual seen at the centre of the video is the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy. Checks show the footage captured his arrival in Gombe State on April 10, 2026, where he was received by a large crowd at the airport and in parts of the state, including the Billiri Local Government Area.
The visit formed part of a series of public engagements in his home state.
Further verification using keyframes extracted via InVID and reverse image search led to a video posted on Pantami’s official TikTok account, which showed a similar scene. The footage depicts a large crowd welcoming him in Billiri as he accompanied Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on an official visit.
A frame-by-frame analysis of the video shows security personnel in dark suits and sunglasses, some of whom were armed in line with standard security protocols. It also shows youths holding sticks; however, these appear to be ordinary wooden objects and not classified as heavy or lethal weapons. There is no evidence in the footage to support the claim that individuals accompanying Pantami were “thugs” carrying heavy weapons.
Verdict: False. The claim that Pantami was seen with thugs bearing heavy weapons is not supported by evidence. Apart from security operatives carrying service rifles, no individuals in the video were observed with prohibited or heavy weapons.