A viral Facebook post claiming that a US naval commander travelled to Nigeria to negotiate the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), has been debunked as false. The post, which accumulated over 500,000 views, used a misleading image that was traced to a US Navy event in Norfolk, Virginia, with no connection to Nigeria or Kanu.
Viral Facebook Post Spreads Misleading Claim
The June 23 post, shared by a Facebook user identified as @Veruethicalman, was captioned “Good news to Biafrans” and featured a video of a man speaking with an image of men dressed in white naval uniforms overlaid at the bottom. In the video, the man stated: “Good news to all Biafrans and lovers of freedom. The US naval commander has landed in Nigeria to engage the federal government on the release of our leader Nnamdi Kanu.”
By Thursday, August 20, 2026, the post had accumulated 5,800 likes, 600 comments, 1,000+ shares, and 500,000 views, according to Legit.ng, which investigated the claim.
Image Traced to US Navy Event in Virginia
Legit.ng took a screenshot of the naval officers shown in the video and ran it through a Google Lens search. The search traced the image to the Defence Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), an official US Department of Defence platform. The image, photographed by US Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Bellino, shows Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle, and Carrier Strike Group 12 Commander Rear Admiral David Duff walking aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on May 16, 2026. The image has no connection to Nigeria or Nnamdi Kanu.
Legit.ng also searched the official websites of the US Navy and US Naval Forces for any record of a visit linked to Kanu’s release. While it confirmed that senior US naval officials have visited Nigeria in recent times, including Rear Admiral Scott Ruston’s attendance at the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary in Lagos from May 31 to June 2, 2026, and Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee’s visit to Lagos on January 27, 2023, for the opening of Exercise Obangame Express, none of these visits involved any discussions about Kanu’s detention. No credible news report was found to support the claim either.
Kanu’s Conviction and Current Status
Nnamdi Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 20, 2025, following his conviction on all seven counts of terrorism, treason, and incitement. His conviction triggered an outpouring of displeasure among his supporters. He is presently in Sokoto state.
Based on findings, Legit.ng concluded that the image used in the viral Facebook post was taken in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, and bears no relationship to Nigeria or Nnamdi Kanu. The claim is false.
Ohaneze Ndigbo Calls for Kanu’s Release
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the president general of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator Azuta Mbata, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the federal government to release Kanu. The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation leader argued that the IPOB leader has stayed in detention for too long. The call for release, however, remains separate from the debunked claim of a US naval visit.
