The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a strong statement accusing the Nigerian government and international actors of complicity in what it described as coordinated violent attacks across parts of the country, while renewing calls for the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a press briefing on Sunday, April 5, 2026, IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, claimed that recent attacks in several states validate long-standing warnings allegedly made by Kanu prior to his arrest in 2021.
The group referenced reports by a missionary, Alex Babir, alleging coordinated assaults on communities, which IPOB said were evidence of a broader, organized campaign rather than isolated incidents.
According to the statement, IPOB insisted that the violence across regions including parts of the Middle Belt and other affected areas should not be described as farmer-herder clashes or banditry, but as a deliberate and ideologically driven conflict.
The group further alleged that Kanu had, for over a decade, warned about such developments through broadcasts and public statements, including those made via Radio Biafra.
IPOB also revisited the circumstances surrounding Kanu’s arrest, maintaining that he was “illegally abducted” in Kenya in June 2021 and returned to Nigeria. The group alleged international involvement, including claims against the British government, though these allegations have not been independently verified.
The statement further criticized Nigerian authorities for refusing to release Kanu despite a 2022 ruling by the Court of Appeal which discharged him, describing his continued detention as unlawful.
IPOB claimed that keeping Kanu in custody was aimed at silencing his voice, which it described as a major opposition to what it termed a wider agenda behind the violence.
The group concluded by calling on the international community, governments, and global institutions to intervene, insisting on Kanu’s “immediate and unconditional release.”
It also warned that history would judge those who fail to act, while reiterating its position that the ongoing insecurity in Nigeria requires urgent global attention.
