A Facebook user, Ngozika Loveth Eze, shared a photograph on September 7, 2026, purportedly showing former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan visiting Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in prison. The post attracted over 3,700 reactions, 892 comments, and 749 shares as of September 19, 2026. The photograph generated mixed reactions among users, with some accepting it as genuine and others questioning its authenticity.
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. Kanu is currently serving a life sentence and has been reported to be held at a correctional facility in Sokoto. His lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, has raised concerns about his prison conditions, including restrictions on visits and his health.
DUBAWA, a fact-checking organization, 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. However, DUBAWA found reports of a related development involving Jonathan and Kanu, where activist Omoyele Sowore met Jonathan in Abuja to discuss Kanu's continued detention in October 2025.
According to reports, Jonathan agreed to speak with President Bola Tinubu about Kanu's detention. However, no report confirmed Jonathan's visit to Kanu in prison. DUBAWA also found reports of visits to Kanu by other prominent individuals, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who reportedly visited Kanu at the correctional facility in Sokoto in November/December 2025.
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, which returned an AI probability score of 31.31 per cent.
The claim that former President Goodluck Jonathan visited Nnamdi Kanu in prison has been deemed false. The viral photograph and accompanying claim do not provide credible evidence that Goodluck Jonathan visited Nnamdi Kanu in prison. The fact-checking organization has urged users to be cautious when sharing information online.
The incident highlights the need for verification of information, especially when it comes to sensitive topics such as prison visits and high-profile individuals. DUBAWA's findings have helped to clarify the situation, and users are advised to rely on credible sources for information.
Key points
- The claim that former President Goodluck Jonathan visited Nnamdi Kanu in prison is false.
- The photograph purportedly showing Jonathan visiting Kanu was likely AI-generated.
- No credible report confirms Jonathan's visit to Kanu in prison.
