IPOB Declares Nnamdi Kanu a Prisoner of Conscience, Demands End to ‘Bogus’ Prosecution
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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged the international community and the Nigerian government to recognize its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as a prisoner of conscience, insisting he has no legal case to answer.
In a strongly worded statement released Saturday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB accused the Nigerian state of engaging in judicial persecution by continuing to prosecute Kanu on what it described as fabricated charges of treasonable felony and terrorism.
The group emphasized that Kanu’s continued detention is not just a human rights violation but an indictment of the Nigerian judiciary. “The treasonable felony charges were struck out years ago. No treason was committed. Instead, the Nigerian government has resorted to trumped-up terrorism charges,” the statement read.
IPOB pointed to a 2018 Federal High Court ruling that declared the organization lawful, accusing the then Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, of engaging in “forum shopping” to overturn the ruling without affording IPOB a fair hearing as required by Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Describing the use of civil procedure to stay a criminal acquittal as “unprecedented abuse,” IPOB slammed the Court of Appeal panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani for what it called a “judicial travesty” in the handling of Kanu’s case.
“We are not begging for mercy; we demand justice,” IPOB declared, adding that the relentless pursuit of Kanu exposes the Nigerian judiciary as an “instrument of oppression.”
The group warned that this continued persecution could further damage Nigeria’s global image and deepen mistrust in the rule of law.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is being detained solely for his advocacy for the self-determination of the Biafran people,” IPOB stated. “His courage, even in chains, speaks volumes about the legitimacy of our cause.”
They called on Nigerians and global human rights institutions to investigate the case and hold the Nigerian government accountable.
