IPOB rejects terror label, calls Buhari-era ban illegal

DDM News

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned its 2017 proscription by the Nigerian government, calling it politically motivated and legally void.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the group released a detailed statement on Friday, August 1, through its spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful.

According to the group, the declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organisation under former President Muhammadu Buhari was a strategic plot to suppress the Biafra self-determination movement.

IPOB insisted that its activities remain peaceful and are protected under Nigerian and international laws.

It accused the Nigerian state of judicial fraud, military aggression, and political collusion to silence legitimate agitation.

The statement noted that for eight years, IPOB had been tagged a terrorist group without evidence of terrorism or violence.

It referenced the September 14, 2017 military invasion of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu’s family home in Afaraukwu, Abia State.

IPOB said 28 unarmed civilians were killed during that operation, which it described as a failed extrajudicial assassination.

Following that raid, the South-East Governors’ Forum led by then-Governor Dave Umahi announced a ban on IPOB activities.

The group claimed this move lacked legal merit and was influenced by political calculations rather than justice.

Three days later, on September 20, 2017, the Nigerian government secured an ex parte order from the Federal High Court in Abuja.

That order, granted by the late Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, officially proscribed IPOB as a terrorist organisation.

IPOB stated that the ex parte order was issued without proper legal scrutiny or presidential ratification.

It argued that this contravened Section 2(1) of the Terrorism Prevention Act and Section 36 of Nigeria’s Constitution.

“The legal system was so compromised that it could not differentiate between a banned group and a terrorist organisation,” IPOB said.

Emma Powerful accused officials of weaponising legal instruments to target and persecute innocent agitators.

He outlined multiple legal violations, including breaches of the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights treaties.

The group cited Section 36 (right to fair hearing) and Section 40 (freedom of association) of the 1999 Constitution as being violated.

It also pointed to Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which Nigeria has ratified.

Other referenced violations include Articles 1, 9, and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The group further cited failure to meet “double criminality” standards for alleged offences under Section 76 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2022.

Emma Powerful recalled that the Enugu High Court ruled in 2023 that the proscription of IPOB was unconstitutional.

He noted, however, that the Nigerian Supreme Court is yet to issue a final ruling on the matter.

The group urged foreign governments, human rights institutions, and international legal observers to intervene.

IPOB demanded accountability for extrajudicial killings, unlawful proscription, and disregard for rule of law in Nigeria.

It called for global rejection of what it described as “political persecution disguised as counterterrorism.”

The group reaffirmed its commitment to nonviolence and international legal norms governing the right to self-determination.

It asked international stakeholders to monitor ongoing legal proceedings and hold Nigerian officials to their human rights obligations.

Founded in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB advocates for the secession of the Biafran region from Nigeria.

The Biafra agitation draws historical context from the 1967–1970 civil war led by the late Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Despite its peaceful declarations, the Nigerian government continues to accuse IPOB of inciting violence and civil unrest.

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