The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the suspension of the Office of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as well as the position of Director of Radio Biafra.
The decision followed a full meeting of the group’s Directorate held on Wednesday, during which its leadership reviewed intelligence reports relating to communications allegedly linked to Nnamdi Kanu from Sokoto prison, according to a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Mazi Chikadibia Edoziem, Head of IPOB’s Directorate of State.
The group stated that henceforth, the Directorate of State will take full responsibility for managing the organisation and overseeing its activities.
It also emphasised that IPOB was established by a collective of Biafrans in the diaspora and not by any single individual, adding that no person has the authority to dissolve its Directorate of State, which remains the highest decision-making body.
The leadership explained that the action was taken amid concerns that some unguarded communications from detention had allegedly contributed to arrests and deaths of IPOB members in the region.
It further noted that Kanu’s movements and communications are closely monitored by the Department of State Services (DSS), raising concerns about potential security implications.
The group also expressed worries over alleged plans by certain individuals to form a new militia, warning that such actions could lead to renewed violence in the region.
According to IPOB, the suspension is intended to prevent unchecked directives and avoid actions that could lead to arrests, intimidation, or loss of lives among its members.
It added that the organisation would no longer be held responsible for actions carried out by individuals or groups not occupying official positions within its structure.
The development comes amid reports that Nnamdi Kanu had earlier dissolved the third administration of the Directorate of State and inaugurated a fourth, appointing US-based Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ as the new head of the body.
The Directorate of State, created in 2012 as IPOB’s administrative arm, has previously been led by different figures across various countries, including the United States, Spain, and Switzerland.
