Fact-check: This is not Dr. Machar’s bodyguard
A prisoner in Rumbek central prison with a padlocked chains around his ankles, is seen, in Rumbek, in Southern Sudan, on November 14, 2011. | Credit | AFP/Tony KARUMBA via Getty Images)

Claim: On September 18, 2025, SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel issued a press release on his Facebook page, claiming that Captain Luka Gathok Nyuon, a protection officer of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, died while in detention at Jamus military facility in Juba.

The post, shared by 75 people within an hour, received 557 likes and 411 comments, and was also picked up by other media outlets. It claimed that Captain Luka and other detained officers were tortured, denied medical care, and subjected to inhumane treatment by SSPDF personnel.

A screenshot of a social media post AI-generated content may be incorrect.

A child lying on the ground AI-generated content may be incorrect.

SPLA-IO also included a photo claiming to show Captain Luka in detention before his death, comparing it to a pre-arrest image.

Fact: The Radio Community found that the image circulated with this claim actually shows a prisoner in Rumbek Central Prison, South Sudan, with padlocked chains around his ankles. The photo was taken on November 14, 2011, by AFP photographer Tony Karumba.

A person lying in a room AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Conclusion: The photo being circulated does not show Captain Luka Gathok Nyuon or any recent detention. The claim that it depicts Dr. Machar’s bodyguard being tortured is false and misleading.

Disclaimer: This fact-check does not confirm or deny the reported death of the bodyguard. It only debunks the attached photo, which is being shared out of context and is misleading.