Confusion As IPOB Sacks Nnamdi Kanu As Leader, Crisis Escalates

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the indefinite suspension of the Office of its Leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and the position of the Director of Radio Biafra.

The decision follows a full-house meeting of the Directorate on Wednesday, where the leadership reviewed intelligence reports concerning communications from Nnamdi Kanu within Sokoto prison, a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Mazi Chikadibia Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State of IPOB, said.

According to the group, a Directorate of State will henceforth be responsible for administering the affairs of the organisation and overseeing the movement.

The leadership organ clarified that IPOB was “formed and nurtured by a group of Biafrans in the Diaspora (not by any singular individual)” and emphasized that no single individual has the authority to dissolve the Directorate of State, which remains the apex leadership structure.

It stated that it acted after becoming “mindful that certain unguarded communications from Sokoto prison to those in Biafraland has caused unnecessary arrests and death of IPOB family members in Biafraland.”

The leadership noted that Kanu’s visitors and activities are heavily monitored by the Department of State Services (DSS) and expressed concern over a separate plan by certain individuals to set up a new militia that would trigger a fresh round of violence in the region.

As detailed in the statement, the suspension aims to prevent unauthorized individuals from committing crimes or carrying out reckless actions under the supposed authority of the suspended leader.

The statement noted that the suspension will “prevent unchecked actions, reckless assumption of authority and unguarded utterances from resulting in the reckless arrests, torture and needless death of Biafran youths.”

It declared that any criminal activity carried out in the name of the suspended office will no longer be blamed on the group, adding that “IPOB shall hence forward not be held accountable for actions of individuals or group of Individuals not holding any active position within IPOB.”

The development follows reports on Wednesday that Kanu had dissolved the 3rd Administration of the Directorate of State (DOS) of the organisation.

Pursuant to his declared authority, Kanu reportedly inaugurated a 4th Administration of the DOS and appointed US-based Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ as the new Head of the Directorate of State.

According to a statement from spokesperson Emma Powerful, Nwaọgụ was tasked with assuming immediate responsibility for the administration, coordination, and day-to-day management of IPOB affairs under Kanu’s direct authority.

The DOS was originally established by Kanu in 2012 as the administrative arm of IPOB. It was previously led by Dr. Justin Akujieze in the United States, Mazi Uchenna Asiegbu in Spain, and Chika Edoziem in Switzerland, who was appointed to the 3rd Administration in March 2017 during Kanu’s prior detention at Kuje Prison.

Meanwhile, in November 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment after convicting him on seven terrorism-related charges, ruling that his broadcasts incited deadly violence against security forces and citizens in the South-East region of the country.