Residents of Enugu State have dismissed as false a photo circulating online, purportedly showing compliance with IPOB’s sit-at-home order on May 30, 2025. The photo, promoted by a member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been widely criticized as misleading.
Traders, workers, and community members went about their normal business that day and rejected the claim that the city obeyed any sit-at-home directive. “We’re busy working. Nobody stayed at home because of IPOB. That group no longer exists here,” said a female trader. “We honor the memory of Igbo people who died in the war, but this Biafra thing has caused Ndi Igbo more harm than good. If anyone should be talking about Biafra, it’s the Ijaw, not us.”
Some business owners warned against the dangers of spreading fake images. “They should take Biafra back to Afaraukwu Ibeku, where their leader Nnamdi Kanu is from,” another resident said. “Enugu people are tired of killings, kidnappings, and propaganda disguised as a freedom movement. What happened in Imo State is not freedom—it’s terror against the same people they claim to fight for.”
🔎 Fact-Check by NN News Media
NN News Media publisher Nkiruka Nistoran conducted a fact-check, exposing that the photo shared as evidence of a May 30 sit-at-home in Enugu is actually an old image.
“From Grok’s analysis, the image was likely taken between the early 2000s and 2015,” she explained. “You can tell by the unpaved roads and building styles seen in Abakpa, Enugu. It’s now being reused to falsely depict today’s events.”
She continued, “If you fact-check every photo IPOB propagandists and even some mainstream media are sharing, you’ll be shocked—they’re all recycled images. Enugu is my home state. I will never let them succeed in deceiving people with fake news. We are not Biafra. Take it to Afaraukwu.”
NN News Media also reminded the public that IPOB has a history of spreading misinformation. One notable example is their claim that former U.S. President Donald Trump referenced IPOB at the United Nations and described them as non-violent—a claim found to be entirely false. There is no record of Trump ever mentioning IPOB or Biafra at the UN, according to AFP.
Another debunked claim by IPOB was that French President Emmanuel Macron supported their cause according to AFP and that Nnamdi Kanu addressed the European Parliament. These assertions were proven baseless by AFP
“It’s time to stop using Enugu for cheap propaganda,” Nistoran added. “We’ve moved on. We want peace, not fake photos and false narratives.”
