Did South African president call on Nigeria to release Nnamdi Kanu?

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Rejoice Taddy

Claim: A Facebook user, @Celebrity Blogger, wrote that South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, asked the Nigerian Government to release Nnamdi Kanu to restore peace in Nigeria.

Verdict: False. DUBAWA found no credible evidence to support the claim. Information gathered from sources in both South Africa and Nigeria indicates that no such request was made.

Full Text

On Nov. 20, 2025, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra, was convicted on seven terrorism-related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Nigerian court. He had refused to open his defence, and the court ruled that any attempt to pursue self-determination outside Nigeria’s constitution is illegal.

Even after this judgment, controversies around the case remain, along with some claims that DUBAWA has debunked.

A Facebook user @Celebrity Blogger claimed that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa requested the release of Nnamdi Kanu. The user claimed that Ramaphosa argued that seeking self‑determination is not a crime under international law, and everyone deserves a fair hearing in court.

The post concluded by stating that the South African President said Kanu’s continued detention risks fueling more tensions that will undermine Nigeria’s prospects for national reconciliation.

Part of the post’s caption read, “Breaking News: The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has called on the Nigerian government to release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally to restore peace in Nigeria.”

As of Dec. 7, 2025, the post had 53 likes, 27 shares, and two comments.

From the comments, @Chibuzo Aku said, “Release him, please. He is a freedom fighter, and because Nigeria is not working, that is why he is fighting for his people.”

@Master Gold added, “Please let him go.”

No doubt, Nnamdi Kanu has remained a subject of intense public interest, with his name frequently appearing in false narratives. Since DUBAWA is aware that people may be susceptible to misinformation about him, we decided to verify the claim despite its low engagement.

Verification

DUBAWA began by checking the official channels of the South African Presidency, including President Cyril Ramaphosa’s verified social media accounts. We found no record of Ramaphosa calling on Nigeria to release Nnamdi Kanu.

We also checked well-known South African news sources, including News24, TimesLIVE, and Eyewitness News (EWN), as well as Nigerian news outlets, for any reports confirming the claim. There is no evidence in any of these sources to suggest that the President made such a request.

The quotes in the Facebook post cannot be traced to any speech, interview, post, or credible report.

DUBAWA spoke with Lebo Tlhabi, a media personality in South Africa, to clarify the claim. She explained that her awareness of trending news, such as the Nnamdi Kanu story, comes from staying informed about Nigerian politics.

“It’s true that countries should be concerned for each other, not just in terms of diplomacy but also for the well-being of the continent, the world, and humanity at large. Nnamdi Kanu’s case is not one that any country should interfere with, especially when it has nothing to do with it. I can assure you that this is just one of the posts people make to create unnecessary conversations of hate,” she said.

She concluded by noting that South Africa has its own significant issues and challenges, making it unreasonable to assume that its president will interfere in another country’s affairs.

With help from Lebo, DUBAWA obtained the contact information of Sipho Mbele, Media Liaison Officer to the Presidency. We contacted Sipho to seek clarification on the claim via WhatsApp, but we did not receive any feedback.

We also reached out through the official social media accounts of the South African government. Despite these attempts, we did not receive a response.