By Chimaobi Nwaiwu
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday dismissed what it described as futile attempts to link its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, with the activities of Simon Ekpa, insisting that such propaganda has collapsed like a pack of cards.
In a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said Nigeria remains the only country in the world that brands the organisation as a terrorist group, stressing that no international court, nation, or global institution has ever adopted or endorsed such a designation.
The statement, titled “IPOB commends Martin Onovo and others for their sound position on Simon Ekpa and reaffirms the global legitimacy of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s struggle,” reaffirmed IPOB’s position as a peaceful, legally registered self-determination movement recognised in more than 60 countries and with active presence in over 100 territories worldwide.
Powerful commended Martin Onovo, former presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party, NCP, and Head of Policy Positions at the Movement for Fundamental Change, MFC, for what he described as his principled and fearless position on the fraudulent attempt to tie Kanu with Ekpa’s conviction in Finland.
According to IPOB, Onovo rightly described Ekpa as “a deranged criminal” convicted in Finland, who has no connection with either Nnamdi Kanu or the movement.
He further highlighted that the Federal Government’s refusal to obey court orders discharging Kanu created a vacuum that opportunists like Ekpa exploited.
“Let it be abundantly clear to the international community that IPOB is a peaceful self-determination movement operating under international law, including the African Charter and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, UNDRIP,” the group said.
The statement added that while Kanu has spent seven years in unlawful detention—having been abducted in Kenya and extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria in violation of international law—he has continued to demonstrate sacrifice, compassion, and selfless leadership.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Onyendu mobilised IPOB members to provide food and relief materials across Biafraland, defended Igbo farmlands against invading herdsmen, and under his leadership, insecurity such as kidnapping and armed robbery was reduced in the South-East,” IPOB stated.
The group further described Simon Ekpa as “a Nigerian creation deliberately engineered to undermine IPOB,” alleging that the government and its collaborators attempted to use him to supplant Kanu’s lawful leadership, the same way ISWAP was used to replace Abubakar Shekau in Boko Haram.
“The evil plot has failed and will continue to fail. The Biafran people remain united under Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. IPOB has no connection to the violence attributed to Ekpa and his mercenaries,” it declared.
Appealing to the international community, IPOB noted that Kanu’s continued detention despite being discharged by Nigerian courts violates the Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The statement concluded: “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu remains in detention not because he committed any crime, but because his global influence, moral authority, and unparalleled popularity threaten the Nigerian cabal and their collaborators. Justice demands that he be freed today.”
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