IPOB Alleges Igbo Persecution, Demands Release of Detained Members
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Federal Government of continued persecution of Ndigbo, demanding the release of people it claims remain unlawfully detained.
The demand follows the court-ordered release of four Igbo men who reportedly spent nearly four years in Department of State Services (DSS) custody.
IPOB described their release as evidence of alleged injustice against people associated with the Biafran movement, insisting that several others remain imprisoned.
In a statement titled, “The Persecution of Biafrans Must End: A Demand for Accountability and Rule of Law,” its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, renewed the demand.
The organisation disclosed that its legal team had identified 83 individuals allegedly transferred from military detention at Wawa Barracks, Kainji, Niger State, to correctional facilities.
According to IPOB, the facilities include Kuje, Keffi and Suleja, where several individuals allegedly remain detained over cases connected to Biafran activities.
The group said its lawyers had communicated details of legal representatives for the detainees to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
IPOB further alleged that other individuals remained incarcerated, with some reportedly serving life sentences over cases linked to alleged membership of the organisation.
It described the situation as continued persecution of Ndigbo and an abuse of government authority, arguing that alleged association with IPOB should not automatically attract imprisonment.
The organisation also challenged the legality of its proscription, claiming the process followed a civil ex parte proceeding without the required presidential approval.
It cited Section 2(1)(c) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013, arguing that a Chief of Staff’s signature could not replace presidential authorisation.
IPOB referenced the judgment in MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd v. FCCPC, involving Justice James Omotosho, to support its argument about compliance with statutory provisions.
The organisation also cited what it described as an existing inter partes ruling declaring that IPOB was not an unlawful society.
It urged the government and prosecuting authorities to address the ruling’s legal implications, disclosing that an appeal remained pending before the Supreme Court.
IPOB maintained that nobody should receive a life sentence solely for alleged membership, insisting that prosecutors must establish specific criminal offences.
The group called on the Federal Government to account for the detainees allegedly held in Kuje, Keffi and Suleja correctional facilities.
It also appealed to the United Nations, United States Government and European Union to intervene over what it described as continued persecution and violations of detainees’ rights.
Describing the release of the four men as evidence of a troubling situation, IPOB insisted that their freedom should trigger a broader examination of other detention cases.
“The release of the four is not the end of the matter. It is an indictment of the system that kept them imprisoned for four years,” the statement said.
The organisation renewed its demand for the release of everyone it considers unlawfully detained, calling for an end to the alleged persecution of Biafrans.
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