FACT-CHECK: Is a US Nuclear-Powered Submarine in Port Harcourt Waterway?
Claim: A viral post circulating across Facebook, X, Instagram and other social media platforms claims that a United States nuclear-powered submarine secretly entered Port Harcourt waters without notifying Nigerian authorities.
According to the post, the submarine allegedly crossed into Nigeria’s territorial waters “under the cover of night,” triggering tension between both countries. It cites unnamed military sources and security analysts who describe the purported action as a violation of Nigeria’s sovereignty and call on the government to demand explanations from Washington.
This posts surfaced amid conversations about strained U.S.–Nigeria relations and recent online narratives linking the alleged submarine sighting to tensions arising from U.S. criticism of Nigeria over religious-freedom concerns, including exaggerated claims of “Christian genocide” and supposed threats of military intervention attributed to Donald Trump.
The claim has sparked debates on social media, with many Nigerians questioning its credibility.
Verification: To verify the authenticity of these claims, PRNigeria‘ fact-check team conducted a comprehensive investigation to determine the authenticity of the claim.
A keyword search and social media audit showed that the story originated from an X account, which linked to a brief article published on ommatpress.com. The post, shared on November 21, 2025, had very low engagement at the time of this report.
A review of major news outlets, U.S. government channels, and Nigerian official platforms yielded no corroborating reports of any U.S. submarine deployment to the Gulf of Guinea or Nigerian coastline in November 2025.
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The U.S Ministry of Defence, Nigerians Ministry of Defence and Navy’s official releases contain no mention of a nuclear submarine operating anywhere near West Africa, while the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have issued no statements on foreign submarine incursions.
Additional probes revealed that the story mirrors a 2009 hoax, when similar rumours of a U.S. submarine operating secretly in Nigerian waters were publicly debunked by the Nigerian Navy.
PRNigeria fact-check team found no recent naval alerts, security advisories, or maritime surveillance reports indicating suspicious underwater activity near Port Harcourt.
Furthermore, international maritime law under UNCLOS Article 20 requires submarines entering territorial waters (within 12 nautical miles) to surface and fly their national flag. No such incident has been recorded by naval monitoring units in the region, including operations under NNS Pathfinder in Port Harcourt.
Similarly, PRNigeria fact-check team reviewed major Nigerian and international media platforms and found no news report confirming any submarine activity near Port Harcourt in November 2025.
Equally, the PRNigeria fact-check team examined the website and found that ommatpress.com
lacks transparency, with no editorial board, physical address, or verifiable contact details. Its content pattern resembles low-credibility platforms known for pushing sensational anti-US narratives.
Conclusion: PRNigeria’s fact-check investigation finds no evidence whatsoever to support the claim that a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine entered Port Harcourt waterways. All available indicators point to an unverified rumour amplified by fringe accounts and recycled from older debunked narratives.
Verdict: False.
By PRNigeria
