IPoB alleges secret transfer of 68 detainees

By Steve Oko UMUAHIA—The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, has alleged that 68 detained Biafrans were secretly transferred from Wawa Barracks to correctional facilities in Kuje, Keffi and Suleja, accusing the Federal Government of using the justice system to prolong the detention of its members. The group also alleged that the Court of Appeal had yet to list an appeal challenging the conviction of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite the compilation and transmission of the record of appeal.

IPOB made the allegations in its weekly address issued on Sunday by the Head of its Directorate of State, DOS, Mazi Chris Nwaogu. Nwaogu said the group’s legal team had identified the 68 detainees and was working to secure their release. He urged supporters to sustain legal efforts on behalf of those in custody. He further alleged that a separate fundamental rights suit concerning Kanu’s detention had suffered a setback after the presiding judge reportedly announced that the court file was missing.

According to him, the suit concerns Kanu’s detention for 14 months following his discharge by the Court of Appeal on October 13, 2022. The IPOB spokesman also challenged the legal basis of Kanu’s conviction by Justice Omotosho on November 20, 2025, alleging that the judgment relied on a repealed law. He cited Section 36(12) of the Constitution, which provides that a person cannot be convicted of a criminal offence unless the offence and its penalty are prescribed in written law.

Meanwhile, IPOB disowned an audio message circulating online that purportedly announced the return of an enforced Monday sit-at-home across the South-East. Nwaọgụ said neither the DOS nor the High Command of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, had authorised the action, warning against attempts to enforce an unauthorised shutdown. He urged residents to disregard the message and avoid actions capable of provoking violence or disrupting economic activities in the region.

The group also announced what it described as a phased political disengagement, directing its supporters to boycott activities associated with the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections. It urged supporters to stay away from APC rallies, stop carrying the party’s flags and refrain from defending APC governors, while maintaining its position on boycotting the 2027 elections.

Nwaọgụ said the proposed boycott was a response to what the group described as injustice, unlawful detention and persecution of its members. He, however, cautioned supporters against violence and warned politicians against hijacking the planned boycott for their own interests. IPOB reiterated its demand for Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release, urging the judiciary to list the appeal for hearing and determine the legal issues surrounding his conviction.