IPOB Declares Proscription Null and Void, Cautions Media Against Misrepresentation

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on Nigerian media organizations to desist from describing it as a proscribed or banned group, insisting that the legal foundation for its proscription no longer exists.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Onyedikachi Ifedi, counsel to IPOB’s supreme leader, Nnamdi Kanu, the group argued that the repeal of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013 (TPAA 2013) nullified the 2017 Federal Government order that designated IPOB as a terrorist organization.

According to the statement, the subsequent enactment of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 effectively repealed both the 2011 principal law and its 2013 amendment, thereby extinguishing any legal backing for IPOB’s proscription.

“A subsidiary instrument derives its life from its enabling statute. Once the statute is repealed, the instrument automatically collapses, unless expressly preserved,” the group noted, citing the Supreme Court’s decision in A.G. Federation v. Abubakar (2007).

The statement further referenced appellate decisions such as Udoh v. Orthopedic Hospitals Management Board (1993) and FBIR v. Halliburton (2016) to support its argument that liabilities and restrictions cannot persist without statutory authority.

IPOB also accused sections of the Nigerian media of “misleading reportage” by repeatedly labeling the group as proscribed. It reminded editors of their constitutional duty under Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution to ensure accuracy and accountability in public information.

“Mischaracterizing IPOB’s legal status not only misleads the public but also tacitly supports governmental propaganda at the expense of truth and justice,” Ifedi stated.

The group warned that it may seek legal remedies, including defamation proceedings, against any media house that continues to describe it as a banned organization.

IPOB concluded by reiterating that it is not proscribed under any law currently in force in Nigeria and urged the media to immediately correct the record.