IPOB Counters Onoh, Says Kanu’s Detention Is Rooted in Lawlessness, Not IPOB

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has dismissed recent comments by Mr. Onoh suggesting that the group is hindering the release of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, describing the claims as “unfortunate and misinformed.”

In a statement signed by Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, the movement argued that responsibility for Kanu’s continued incarceration rests squarely with the Nigerian government and its alleged disregard for constitutional and judicial processes.

The group outlined four major points:

1. Discharge and Acquittal

IPOB insisted that Kanu had already been discharged and acquitted by a competent court, stressing that any further trial amounts to double jeopardy, which is expressly prohibited under the Nigerian Constitution.

2. Trial Under a Repealed Law

The statement noted that the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013, under which Kanu is being tried, was repealed by the 2022 Act. Continuing a trial under a repealed law, IPOB said, is unconstitutional and undermines the judiciary’s credibility.

3. Violation of Fair Hearing Rights

IPOB further accused the government of attempting to impose criminal liability through civil ex parte orders, which it said contravenes Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, guaranteeing fair hearing.

4. Jurisdictional Gaps

The movement pointed out that under the 2022 Act, prosecutions involving alleged cross-border terrorism require approval from the court in the country of rendition—in this case, Kenya. IPOB stressed that no such approval was ever sought or obtained, thereby stripping Nigerian courts of jurisdiction.

“The problem is not IPOB,” the statement read. “The problem is a government that refuses to abide by its own Constitution and statutory laws, aided by judges who bend the law to serve political ends.”

IPOB maintained that rather than blaming the group, critics like Onoh should direct their voices toward demanding accountability from Nigeria and Britain over what it described as the “lawless detention” of Kanu, now approaching its fifth year.

The group vowed to continue using “facts, law, and truth” in defense of its leader until justice is achieved.