The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the indefinite suspension of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and his removal as Director of Radio Biafra, citing what it described as the need to reposition the organisation and strengthen its internal structures.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by Chikadibia Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State (DOS), which IPOB describes as its highest decision-making body.
According to the statement, the suspension followed a meeting of the DOS held on June 17, during which members reviewed an intelligence report allegedly submitted by IPOB’s M-Branch concerning a meeting involving Kanu and officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
IPOB stated that the organisation was founded as a self-determination movement by Biafrans in the diaspora and was not created by any single individual. The group stressed that no person has the authority to dissolve or override its central leadership structure.
Edoziem alleged that Kanu’s communications and movements while in custody have been closely monitored by security agencies, adding that certain communications originating from prison had allegedly contributed to the arrest and deaths of some IPOB members.
The DOS further claimed that there were plans by unnamed actors to establish a new militia aimed at triggering another wave of violence in the South-East and weakening the IPOB movement by undermining its leadership.
According to the statement, the suspension is intended to prevent individuals or groups from committing crimes or engaging in unlawful activities while claiming to act on the authority of Kanu’s office as IPOB leader.
The organisation also said the measure was necessary to forestall what it described as “unchecked actions, reckless assumption of authority and unguarded utterances” that could expose Biafran youths to arrest, torture and loss of life.
IPOB added that any criminal acts carried out in the name of the suspended office would not be attributed to the organisation but to the individuals responsible for such actions.
“Henceforth, IPOB shall not be held accountable for the actions of individuals or groups not holding any active position within the movement or those not authorised by the Directorate of State to act on its behalf,” the statement said.
Kanu’s Conviction and Appeal
Kanu, the founder of IPOB, is currently serving a life sentence following his conviction on terrorism-related charges.
In November 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to life imprisonment on four counts of a seven-count charge. He was also handed additional prison terms of 20 years and five years on two other counts.
During the trial, officials of the DSS testified that Kanu admitted to making broadcasts that allegedly incited attacks on police officers. Another DSS witness linked violence that followed the #EndSARS protests to comments allegedly made by the IPOB leader.
Kanu has since appealed the conviction, and the appeal process remains ongoing.
