Image of protesters running. Picture source: BusinessDay.
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Claim: An X video shows people protesting in Abuja for the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow movement.
Verdict: FALSE! Evidence, including vehicle plates, signage, and online uploads, confirms that the video was recorded in Kenya.
Full Text
On Monday, Oct 20, 2025, a protest was held in Abuja demanding the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu has been held by the State Security Service (SSS) since June 2021.
The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow movement, led by Omoyele Sowore, seeks Kanu’s unconditional release. Kanu is facing trial for terrorism-related offences at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Amidst this, an X user AFRICAMUSTBEFREE! (@engrICO2015) shared a video of thousands of protesters running and screaming with a helicopter flying over them. The user claimed this scene was from Abuja.
Part of the narration in the almost two-minute video reads, “Thank you Omoyele Sowore, chai I am in tears now!! Chai, the spirit of Biafra has chosen someone outside Igbo land, and it is working. Abuja don shot down ooo put call ….the crowd is massive.”
Conflicting opinions filled the comment section with people debating about the accuracy and location of the video.
Cryptodinho (@automatedKrazy), doubting the video’s location, noted, “Bro, no way this video is in Abuja, Nigeria. This can only happen for MNK in the Southeast and maybe Lagos.”
Another user, #Cityboi _Mǐcђα̲̅εℓ (@GenZDannyboi), agreed with the post and noted, “We won’t forget why Nnamdi Kanu is in prison and facing trial.”
As of Oct. 20, 2025, the video had garnered 130,600 views, 1,600 likes, 894 reposts and quotes, 471 comments, and 207 bookmarks since we saw it on. The virality of the video, the possibility of causing fear and panic, and sparking ethnic rivalry made DUBAWA verify this.
Verification
To authenticate the claim, we conducted a thorough keyword search to see if any credible media outlet reported the situation. No credible media outlet has reported such a development so far.
We then conducted a reverse image search using a fragment of the video, which led us to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages that had posted the same clip at different times. The most recent upload was from four days ago. The video had one thing in common: they were all said to have happened in Kenya, not Nigeria.
We reviewed the video carefully and noticed some details, like the plate numbers of the bikes and vehicles in the video. The plate number had white and black lettering with a Kenyan flag. Some plate numbers also had yellow and black lettering, which was different from Nigerian vehicles.
DUBAWA also saw the signpost by the side of the road in the video. The signboard had “The Standard Group PLC” and “KTN.”
We did a keyword search on both names and saw that the Standard group is a media company in Nairobi, Kenya. We also checked for KTN and saw it means Kenya Television Network (KTN). This means that the events happened in Kenya, not Nigeria.
Conclusion
The viral video’s claim that it shows a protest in Abuja for the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow movement is false. The evidence, including vehicle plates, signage, and online uploads, confirms that the video was recorded in Kenya.
Ok