Following the July 2023 coup in Niger, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened the use of military force to restore constitutional order in the country. Soon afterwards, a video emerged online showing a man in military fatigues firing several different guns into his mouth and spitting out the bullets, unharmed. Text accompanying the footage claimed that the man was a Nigerien soldier showcasing his combat skills, ready to defend his country against external threats. But