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Claim: A Facebook user shared a post suggesting that Robert Prevost, the recently inaugurated Pope, has urged the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA found no credible evidence to support the claim. The video cited was from Pope XIV’s inauguration, during which Tinubu met with Nigerian Bishops, not the Pope.
Full Text
The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has remained a key figure in Nigeria’s political conversations, as his arrest and time in custody have been backed by calls for his release, especially from his supporters.
His name frequently appears in claims insinuating that international figures call for his release. For example, a deep fake audio falsely depicted Donald Trump, the U.S. President, calling for Nnamdi Kanu’s release. DUBAWA conducted a fact-check and found that it was false.
By a similar token, a Facebook user, @National politics and news update, posted a picture of the recently elected Pope, Robert Prevost, who succeeded the late Pope Francis. Attached to the post was a caption,
“Breaking News: Pope Leo XIV Urges Nigerian Government to Release Nnamdi Kanu, Advocates for Peace in Nigeria and Africa. His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has made an impassioned plea to the Government of Nigeria, urging the release of Nnamdi Kanu as a gesture toward reconciliation and lasting peace.”
The post also contained a supposed message from the Pope. The message reads,
“Nigeria is a nation endowed with immense potential and a resilient, gifted people. “In the spirit of justice, mercy, and the common good, I humbly implore the Nigerian authorities to consider the release of Nnamdi Kanu, and to open a path toward healing and peace not only for Nigeria but for the whole of Africa.”
When we saw the post on June 11, 2025, it had only two likes. However, other Facebook users shared the same claim here and here.
DUBAWA also found another video shared by @Agozi commedy, claiming that the Pope met with Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, to plead for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. The full caption attached to the post reads, “Pope Leo XVI and other bishops in Rome plead with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu so peace can be restored in South-South.”
Also seen on June 11, 2025, this post had 60 likes, 13 comments, and over 5,900 views. Most of the comments came from users who did not believe the claim.
@Mansub.com, for instance, said, “Your updates are always lies. You are a liar, lai.”
@Godswill added, “ You want followers, and you are spreading this heavy lie.”
Suleimon Ademola questioned: “ What concerns the Pope with Nnamdi Kanu?”
Considering these comments and the new trend of claims related to the release of Nnamdi Kanu, DUBAWA decided to verify.
Verification
We employed Google Lens to assess the video and confirmed it was shot during Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration on May 8, 2025. The event followed the death of the late Pope Francis on April 2, 2025.
President Bola Tinubu was among several world leaders and dignitaries who attended the inauguration.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, the Nigerian president met with a group of bishops who were part of the Nigerian delegation to the Vatican. In the original video, the bishops appreciated the President for coordinating their visit to the Vatican and making time to attend the event in person.
The Pope was not present in the room during Tinubu’s meeting with the bishops, and at no point in the video was there any mention or request for the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
DUBAWA also searched for public statements, press releases, or credible news reports that confirmed Pope Leo XIV made such a request. As of June 11, 2025, we didn’t find any such statement.
If the newly elected Pope had indeed called on the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu, especially during a widely reported event like his inauguration, it would have been covered. Yet, no credible local or international media outlet reported this.
We observed that the accounts sharing the claim are largely associated with pro-Biafra narratives, an established pattern in previous misinformation attempts involving Nnamdi Kanu.
Conclusion
In light of DUBAWA’s findings, there is no credible evidence that Pope Leo XIV called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, nor did he have a meeting with President Tinubu regarding it. The claim is false.
