Lagos, Nigeria – February 27, 2026 – The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has issued a strongly worded press statement addressing recent international developments surrounding religious freedom and Sharia law in Nigeria. The statement, released for immediate dissemination on February 27, 2026, comes in direct response to a high-profile congressional report presented to U.S. President Donald Trump by Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV), which calls for measures including the repeal of Sharia codes and criminal anti-blasphemy laws in northern Nigeria.
The IPOB press release, signed by spokesperson Emma Powerful, describes the ongoing debate over Sharia as exposing "the fundamental impossibility of coexistence under Nigeria’s current state structure." IPOB emphasizes its respect for Muslims' right to practice their religion fully, including Sharia within their own communities, while strongly opposing its imposition on non-Muslims and the alleged denial of basic freedoms to Judeo-Christian and other faith groups in northern regions.
The statement highlights persistent reports of religiously motivated persecution across states such as Sokoto, Borno, and Plateau, where Christians, non-Muslims, and even some Muslims face systematic targeting. IPOB frames these incidents not as isolated events but as part of an "ongoing jihad," portraying Sharia enforcement beyond community boundaries as a "weapon of oppression" rather than a system of justice. The group cites the Nigerian state's inability to protect citizens as evidence that the country's claimed secularism is merely a "façade" masking a fractured legal order with conflicting codes governing the same territory.
Central to IPOB's response is praise for Congressman Riley Moore's report to President Trump, which the group interprets as a "stark reminder" of these realities. The congressional investigation, conducted over months and involving bipartisan fact-finding trips to Nigeria, expert hearings, consultations with religious leaders and internally displaced persons, and engagements with Nigerian officials, culminated in recommendations submitted to the White House on February 23, 2026. Key proposals include demanding the repeal of Sharia and blasphemy laws, issuing targeted sanctions and visa restrictions against violators of religious freedom, withholding certain U.S. funding, forming a bilateral U.S.-Nigeria security agreement to protect vulnerable Christian communities, disarming armed Fulani militias through economic leverage such as blocking cattle product exports, and countering influences from adversaries like China and Russia.
IPOB views these U.S. actions—following Nigeria's redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom violations—as validation of long-standing concerns about systemic threats to non-Muslims. The group reiterates its core position: only a restored sovereign Biafra nation-state can guarantee the protection of life, religious freedom, and human dignity in the region. In such a Biafran state, IPOB pledges full citizenship, security, and unmolested living rights for non-Muslims and persecuted groups from the North and elsewhere, guided by the ancient Igbo principle of "live and let live" (Egbe bere, Ugo bere).
The statement urges international actors—including Riley Moore, the U.S. Congress, the Israeli Knesset, and others with "conscience"—to acknowledge that Nigeria, in its present form, is "not a safe home for Judeo-Christians." IPOB describes the targeting of non-Muslims as "real, deliberate, and systemic," committing to establish a homeland where justice, religious freedom, and human rights are absolute rather than conditional.
This IPOB intervention arrives amid heightened tensions following the U.S. report. Northern Islamic leaders and organizations, such as the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN), have rejected calls to repeal Sharia, asserting that no external power can halt its practice and viewing the recommendations as political intimidation infringing on national sovereignty and constitutional provisions. Some northern elites have condemned the proposals as bordering on ethnic targeting, particularly regarding Fulani groups, while warning that such demands could destabilize interfaith relations.
Conversely, groups like the NDI Igbo Worldwide Union have echoed IPOB's sentiments, warning that Nigeria cannot sustain a dual legal system and urging the National Assembly to remove Sharia from the constitution or risk national fracture. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed caution, noting that external pressure on Sharia could exacerbate religious tensions rather than resolve them, and advocating instead for broader constitutional reforms.
The Nigerian government has rebutted claims of systemic religious persecution, affirming its commitment to protecting all citizens regardless of faith. However, ongoing violence in the Middle Belt and northern regions—often linked to farmer-herder clashes, banditry, and insurgent activities—continues to fuel international scrutiny and domestic separatist narratives.
IPOB's statement underscores the separatist group's long-standing advocacy for self-determination, positioning the Sharia controversy as further proof that Nigeria's multi-ethnic, multi-religious framework is untenable. By invoking Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a prophetic figure who "saw it all coming," IPOB reinforces its ideological stance amid renewed global attention to Nigeria's religious and security challenges.
As debates intensify, the coming weeks may see further diplomatic exchanges between Washington and Abuja, alongside domestic responses from faith-based and ethnic organizations. IPOB's call for international recognition of Nigeria's realities signals an escalation in its push for Biafran restoration as the ultimate safeguard for persecuted communities.
