The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on both the Nigerian government and the international community, saying their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is being kept in prison for no valid reason. They described him as a “prisoner of conscience.”
According to IPOB, the Nigerian government continues to press charges against Kanu based on false accusations of treason and terrorism. The group says this violates his basic human rights.
IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, released this message in Abuja on Saturday. In the statement, IPOB explained that they are not begging for mercy but are demanding justice for their leader.
The group urged Nigerians and the global community to understand the truth: Kanu has no case to answer. They believe his ongoing detention proves that the Nigerian judicial system is broken and unfair.
IPOB said that for too long, people have been misled by media reports that Kanu is charged with treason or terrorism. But they claim these charges were dropped years ago because they had no evidence.
The group also said the government later came up with terrorism charges just to silence the Biafra movement, even though a Federal High Court had ruled that IPOB is a legal organization. They claim the government secretly got another court to declare IPOB illegal without giving the group a fair hearing.
This, IPOB said, shows the judiciary is being used as a tool to oppress instead of to serve justice.
They also said that a court had already discharged and acquitted Kanu. But instead of obeying that ruling, another court used a civil law method, called a stay of execution, to reverse the judgment. IPOB sees this as an abuse of the court system.
The group repeated that IPOB is a legal group and that the government has no real reason to charge Kanu with terrorism. They believe Kanu is only in prison because he stands firm in his fight for Biafra’s independence.
IPOB said that if Kanu is ever allowed to defend himself in court, it will expose how weak the case against him truly is. They made it clear they are not looking for pity but asking for justice. They also believe that God supports their cause.
In their statement, they criticized the judges at the Court of Appeal, especially Justice Tsammani. IPOB said these judges wrongly used a civil legal process to cancel a valid ruling from a criminal trial that had already freed Kanu.
They asked both Nigerians and the international community to look closely at the law and see how it is being misused.
IPOB believes the government is targeting Kanu to stop the Biafra movement. They say this is not just about one person, but an attack on justice, fairness, and truth in Nigeria.
The group warned that if the Nigerian government continues down this path, it could damage the country’s image and make its justice system a laughingstock in the eyes of the world.
Finally, IPOB blamed those advising President Tinubu to keep pushing this case. They said these people are not helping Nigeria. They praised Kanu’s courage and commitment, saying even while in detention, his spirit remains strong and unshaken.
