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Viral video of Nnamdi Kanu’s release is from 2017

Fatimah Quadri
Fatimah Quadri
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A claim that Nnamdi Kanu has been released has surfaced on the internet and has been circulating, particularly on TikTok

The claim was made by a user, Ugwaifechukwudavid1, who posted a one-minute plus video. The footage was a clip from a Channels Television news report, with a chyron that read: “Treasonable Felony – Nnamdi Kanu released after meeting bail conditions.”

The voice-over in the clip also repeated the headline and the news ticker, stating that Kanu had been released from Kuje Prison by Justice Binta Nyako after fulfilling his bail conditions.

READ: Video does not show #freeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja

The caption reads:

Lovers of good news come rejoice with me Great Mazi Kanu is released Thank you president Ahmed Tinubu for approving Mazi bail freennamdikanu

Since the post  was made on Thursday, December 11, 2025, it has garnered engagment of over 2,000 likes, 91 comments, and 178 bookmarks.

CLAIM

Nnamdi Kanu has been released from prison.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING!

Screenshot of the claim; NNamdi Kanu released from prison; Insert; Misleading Verdict
Screenshot of the claim; NNamdi Kanu released from prison; Insert; Misleading Verdict

On November 20, 2025, the Federal High Court sentenced the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of terrorism charges preferred against him. Since then, he has been serving his sentence at a correctional facility in Sokoto.

However, the video circulating online does not reflect this recent development. Clues from the footage, including the judge mentioned, Justice Binta Nyako, and the reference to Kuje Prisons, clearly indicate that the clip is old.

A keyword search using phrases seen in the chyron, such as “Nnamdi Kanu meets bail conditions”, led to the original appearance of the video on YouTube, uploaded by Channels TV on April 28, 2017. The clip depicts Kanu’s release after meeting his bail conditions at the time.

ALSO READ: Biafra: How IPOB uses disinformation to push secession agenda

Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges including treasonable felony and incitement linked to his activities as IPOB leader, which seeks the secession of Nigeria’s South-East. Although he was granted bail in 2017, he fled the country shortly after his home in Abia State was raided by the military.

These details were also corroborated by multiple media reports published in 2017.

THE VERDICT

The claim that Nnamdi Kanu has been released from prison is misleading; the video is from 2017, when he was initially granted bail before fleeing the country.

Fact-checker at The FactheckHub | fquadri@icirnigeria.org |  + posts

Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.

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