IPOB REBUTS “WITHIN NIGERIA” PROPAGANDA ON NNAMDI KANU AND SOWORE

Also Read

 

Introduction

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly condemned an article published by Within Nigeria titled “Political Solution to IPOB Impasse: Sowore and the Case for Nnamdi Kanu’s Release.”

In a statement issued by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group described the publication as “state-sponsored propaganda masquerading as journalism.” IPOB accused the author, Afolabi Hakim, of parroting government narratives while deliberately ignoring key legal facts surrounding the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB.

---

Charges Against Kanu Lack Legal Basis

IPOB emphasized that the charges against Nnamdi Kanu have no legal merit, pointing out that Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had previously stated that the seven-count charge against Kanu “does not disclose any offence known to law.”

According to the statement, “The prosecution survives only on judicial courtesy, not substance.” IPOB further noted that the government initially filed charges of treasonable felony but later “illegally switched to terrorism” through an ex parte order obtained secretly in 2017, despite a prior court ruling declaring IPOB a lawful organization.

---

Illegal Rendition from Kenya

The group reiterated that Kanu’s arrest and transfer from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021 constituted extraordinary rendition, a serious international crime.

“Every civilised nation recognises that a trial built on an illegal capture is itself tainted,” IPOB said. “No warrant, no legal procedure, and no extradition treaty were followed.”

It recalled that the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted Kanu on October 13, 2022, a decision that stands as a valid judicial record despite the Supreme Court’s later procedural ruling in December 2023.

---

“Lazy Comparison” Between Kanu and Simon Ekpa

The group dismissed comparisons between Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa as “a lazy lie.” It noted that while Ekpa was tried in Finland under Finnish law for alleged offences committed on Finnish soil, Kanu’s case in Nigeria relates to speeches made abroad with no evidence linking him to any act of violence.

“If this was an open-and-shut case as the author claims,” IPOB said, “why has the government failed to conclude it after five years of adjournments, amendments, and illegal detentions?”

---

Defending Sowore’s Advocacy

IPOB also condemned attempts by the Within Nigeria article to discredit activist Omoyele Sowore, who has publicly called for Kanu’s release.

“Attacking Sowore for demanding justice exposes fear, not strength,” Emma Powerful said. “Peaceful advocacy is a constitutional right, not a crime.”

---

IPOB Proscription: A Legal Scam

The statement also challenged the legitimacy of the 2017 proscription of IPOB, describing it as “a legal scam executed behind closed doors.”

According to IPOB, the proscription order was obtained through a secret ex parte motion — in direct contradiction to an earlier court ruling that IPOB was not an unlawful society.

“Using that illegal order to rebrand millions of peaceful citizens as ‘terrorists’ is textbook abuse of process,” IPOB said.

---

“Remorse” Argument Rejected

IPOB criticized the notion that Kanu must “show remorse” before his release, describing it as “an absurdity that exposes the state’s lack of evidence.”

“Remorse comes after conviction, not before trial,” Emma Powerful said. “Demanding apology from an unconvicted man is proof that the government’s case is built on propaganda, not proof.”

---

The Political Solution

The statement reiterated that pursuing a political solution is “not weakness but wisdom.” It reminded the government that the Attorney-General of the Federation has constitutional powers to discontinue any case in the public interest (via nolle prosequi), and that the President may grant clemency or amnesty.

“Successive governments have extended these powers to militants and confessed terrorists,” IPOB argued. “Applying it to a political prisoner like Kanu is justice delayed, not charity.”

---

Final Verdict

In closing, IPOB accused Within Nigeria and its author of deliberate misinformation.

“Afolabi Hakim’s article contains noise, not knowledge — adjectives without evidence,” the group said. “If propaganda could win cases, the DSS would have secured conviction years ago. But the law demands proof, not press releases.”

The statement concluded:

“Every lie told about Mazi Nnamdi Kanu eventually collapses. From the illegal proscription to the unlawful rendition, the truth stands unshaken. Kanu’s demand is simple: follow the law. Sowore’s campaign is simple: do the right thing. Nigeria’s conscience is not for sale.”