A Facebook user claims that Pope Leo XVI and other bishops have pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kalu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from detention.
The claim by @NgoziCommedy was accompanied by a video showing Tinubu in conversation with some bishops.
The two-minute, 29-second video has garnered 5.9k views, 60 reactions, 13 comments, and 16 shares.
“Pope Leo XVI and other bishops in Rome plead with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu so peace can be restore in south east,” the post reads.
Another account also posted a similar claim, @United Nations Mission for Referendum in Biafra Land, which alleged that Pope Leo appealed to the Nigerian federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu to promote peace in Nigeria and across Africa.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges of treason but was later granted bail in 2017.
He fled the country shortly afterward, only to be re-arrested in 2021 under controversial circumstances.
His prolonged detention has sparked legal battles, with many calling for his release.
VERIFYING THE CLAIM
CableCheck analysed the frames from the video using Google Lens and found that it was shot during the inauguration of Pope Leo.
The event on May 8 followed the death of late Pope Francis on April 21 after a protracted illness.
President Tinubu was among several world leaders and dignitaries who attended the inauguration.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Tinubu met with some bishops who were part of the Nigerian delegation to the Vatican.
In the original video, the bishops were heard appreciating the President for facilitating their visit to the Vatican and for also making time to attend the event in person.
The Pope was not present in the room during Tinubu’s meeting with the bishops, and at no point did they request the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
We also observed that the users who posted the claims are pro-Biafra accounts.
Also, no reputable media platform reported the news.
VERDICT
The claim that Pope Leo XVI and other bishops were pleading with Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu is false.
