Fact Check: Image of Pope Leo Holding a Biafra Flag is AI-generated

A Facebook post claims that Pope Leo XIV symbolically raised the Biafran flag for the first time in solidarity with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) at the Vatican in Rome.

The post made by @Ofoegbu Ejike has garnered over 20 shares and nine likes.

“JUST IN: Pope Raises Biafra Flag for First Time — Supporters Say It’s a Call to Free Nnamdi Kanu and End Killing of Christians,” the post reads.

“Supporters of the Biafra movement have erupted online after images and reports surfaced showing the Pope symbolically raising the Biafra flag for the first time in his life.

“According to pro-Biafra voices, the gesture is not political grandstanding but a moral message — a call for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, which they insist remains a solid and lasting solution to the continuous killing of Christians in Nigeria.”

VERIFICATION

CableCheck searched through the Pope’s official social media pages but found no image of the pontiff holding the Biafran flag.

We analysed the video using Hive AI, an artificial intelligence detection tool. The result indicated that the image was AI-generated, with markers suggesting it was created using ChatGPT.

CableCheck further observed that no credible or reputable media organisation reported that the Pope displayed the Biafra flag in support of the IPOB movement. Also, there was no report about the supposed act on the Vatican News website.

IPOB supporters have a history of digitally altering images of prominent figures to create the impression of endorsement for their cause.

VERDICT

The claim that Pope Leo XIV was holding a Biafran flag in solidarity with IPOB is AI-generated.