The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) have refuted claims circulating on social media that the organisations are providing support to armed groups in Northern Nigeria.

Recent posts on social media claimed the Red Cross delivered food to Boko Haram and other terrorist organisations in the Sambisa Forest in Borno state.

In a joint statement issued yesterday, the organisations said the allegations are “diametrically opposed to the fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and constitute misleading information that can jeopardise our purely humanitarian mission and deny thousands of people vital aid.”

They said their priority everywhere is to help the most vulnerable people affected by different challenges, including armed conflict, adding that the impact is made “transparently, independently, neutrally and impartially”.

“The ICRC engages in humanitarian dialogue with all parties to a conflict where it can. The organisation never provides those parties with financial, logistical, or other support,” the statement reads.

The Red Cross urged the public to verify information through credible sources, advising people to “always check information with credible and official sources, including the ICRC and NRCS official accounts, and refrain from engaging with unverified online content.”

Northern Nigeria has faced decades of violence from various armed groups, including Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and local bandit groups.

This has resulted in widespread displacement, killings, and disrupted access to food, education, and healthcare for millions of civilians.