IN SHORT: According to a post on Facebook, US president Donald Trump said he was considering granting Biafra its independence to end insecurity in Nigeria. But there is no evidence to support the claim.
US president Donald Trump said he was considering granting Biafra its independence to bring an end to the insecurity in Nigeria. That’s according to a post circulating on Facebook in November 2025.
Biafra is a region in southeastern Nigeria. Its secession in May 1967 sparked a 30-month civil war. When the war ended in January 1970, Biafra was reabsorbed into Nigeria.
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Over five decades later, groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra continue to agitate for the restoration of the region.
The post quotes Trump as saying:
If granting Biafra freedom will finally bring an end to the insecurity destroying Nigeria, then I am very seriously considering it … Look, we want peace. We want stability. And if Biafra’s independence is the solution that brings security, safety, and prosperity back to that region – then it might just be the smartest decision. Many people are talking about it. Many great people. America supports freedom. Always has, always will.
According to the post, Trump also said that members of the US congress, the legislative branch of government, had already submitted a proposal to grant Biafra its independence.
The claim also appeared here, here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)
In late October, Trump characterised Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, claiming that radical Islamists were killing thousands of Christians.
A “country of particular concern” is a designation of a nation engaged in severe violations of religious freedom under the US’s International Religious Freedom Act.
Trump also threatened to send US troops to Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to “completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities”.
Nigerian president Bola Tinubu and his government rejected Trump’s claims, saying insecurity in the country also affected Muslims and people of other religions.
Did Trump say he was considering granting Biafra its independence as a solution to insecurity in Nigeria? We checked.
No evidence to support this
Trump’s claim of Christian genocide in Nigeria and the Nigerian government’s counterclaims have received wide media coverage. Responding to Trump’s threat of military intervention, the Nigerian government urged the US to respect the West African country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
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It is unlikely that the media would miss the news that Trump is planning to grant Biafra its independence. The lack of media coverage is a major red flag.
Trump posts most of his significant statements on his Truth Social account. We searched his account on the social media platform and found nothing related to the claim.
We found no evidence that Trump said he was considering granting Biafra independence. The claim is false.
The same claim was found here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
