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Claim: A Facebook user claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan visited the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in prison.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA found no credible media report or official confirmation that Jonathan visited Kanu in prison.
Full Text
A Facebook user, Ngozika Loveth Eze, on Sept. 7, 2026, shared a photograph purportedly showing former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan visiting Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in prison.
The caption partly reads, “Breaking news: Former President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan visits Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. This is his word of encouragement to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu…”
As of Sept. 19, 2026, the post had attracted more than 3,700 reactions, 892 comments and 749 shares.
The photograph generated mixed reactions among users. While some accepted it as genuine, others questioned its authenticity.
Ben Moris commented, “This picture is not AI. MNK, may you live long and be strong. Biafra freedom is a must.” Another user, Johnson Anyanwu, wrote, “Doubting Thomas everywhere, Everything na AI for una okpolo eyes.”
Meanwhile, Goodluck Onyinyechi Anyamele questioned the photograph’s authenticity, stating, “Fake news everywhere.”
However, Chukwuemeka Onyia accepted the claim and praised the purported visit, stating, “This is so good, and I thank Mr President Jonathan for the wonderful gesture of his; it is quite commendable.”
Other Facebook users reshared the post as seen here, here, here, and here.
The claim comes amid continued public interest in the detention and legal case involving Nnamdi Kanu, who is widely identified as the leader of IPOB, a separatist group campaigning for an independent Biafran state in Southeastern Nigeria.
As of September 2026, Kanu is serving a life sentence and has been widely reported to be held at a correctional facility in Sokoto.
Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, has raised concerns about his prison conditions, including restrictions on visits and his health.
Given the identities of the individuals involved and the significance of an alleged visit by a former Nigerian president to a high-profile separatist leader in custody, DUBAWA fact-checked the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted keyword searches across credible media platforms to establish whether the purported visit had been reported.
The searches produced no credible report confirming that former President Goodluck Jonathan visited Nnamdi Kanu in prison.
DUBAWA, however, found reports of a related development involving Jonathan and Kanu. In October 2025, activist Omoyele Sowore said he met Jonathan in Abuja to discuss Kanu’s continued detention. According to reports, Jonathan agreed to speak with President Bola Tinubu about the matter. However, no report confirmed Jonathan’s visit to Kanu in prison.
DUBAWA also found reports of visits to Kanu by other prominent individuals. For instance, Abia State Governor Alex Otti reportedly visited Kanu at the correctional facility in Sokoto in November/December 2025, following Kanu’s life sentence.
However, DUBAWA found no credible report from government authorities, Jonathan’s representatives, Kanu’s legal team or reputable media organisations confirming that Jonathan had visited Kanu in prison.
Image verification
DUBAWA subjected the photograph attached to the Facebook post to AI-image detection tools to establish whether it showed signs of synthetic generation.
Hive, an AI-image detection tool, assessed the photograph as 100 per cent likely to have been AI-generated.
DUBAWA also analysed the image using ZHUQUE, another AI-image detection tool. The tool returned an AI probability score of 31.31 per cent.
Conclusion
The claim that former President Goodluck Jonathan visited Nnamdi Kanu in prison is false. The viral photograph and accompanying claim do not provide credible evidence that Goodluck Jonathan visited Nnamdi Kanu in prison.