By Mandy Park

The Indigenous People of Biafra has disclosed that it has located 83 of its members who were previously presumed dead, alleging that they were being held in federal correctional facilities in Kuje, Keffi and Suleja.

The Head of the group’s Directorate of State, Fourth Administration, Chris Nwaogu, disclosed this during his weekly address, saying the discovery followed legal efforts to trace members who had allegedly disappeared.

Nwaogu said the development was made possible through what he described as divine intervention and sustained legal manoeuvres.

He said, “Through divine providence and relentless legal manoeuvring, several Biafrans previously presumed dead have been located alive in northern gulags.”

The IPOB official expressed appreciation to the group’s South African supporters for providing financial assistance to sustain three lawyers involved in the legal efforts to secure the detainees’ release.

He said the group would continue its efforts until all its detained members regained their freedom.

“Every name matters, every life counts, and we will not rest until every single Biafran detainee walks free,” he added.

Nwaogu said the Directorate of State had two major objectives: securing the immediate and unconditional release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and other detained members, and achieving the restoration of Biafra’s sovereignty.

He also accused the Federal Government of deliberately frustrating Kanu’s legal battle by allegedly failing to list his appeal for hearing at the Court of Appeal.

According to him, the conviction of the IPOB leader by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court on November 20, 2025, contained serious legal errors that should be addressed by the appellate court.

Nwaogu cited legal arguments reportedly advanced by Christopher Chidera and a legal team led by Onyedikachi Ifedi, claiming that the judgment contained more than 150 errors.

He further alleged that Kanu’s court file relating to his detention without trial for 14 months after his discharge by the Court of Appeal on October 13, 2022, remained missing.

He described the alleged disappearance of the file as a serious matter requiring accountability.

“The appeal challenging Justice Omotosho’s fraudulent conviction of November 20, 2025, remains deliberately unlisted. The respondent has not filed its brief. That silence does not resolve the appeal; it makes the need for an open appellate hearing even more urgent,” he said.

Nwaogu insisted that the judiciary should explain the legal provisions under which Kanu was convicted, citing Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits conviction for an offence unless it is defined and its penalty prescribed in a written law.

He called on the Court of Appeal to list the matter and hear it in an open court.

The IPOB spokesman also reiterated the group’s position on the 2027 general elections, threatening a possible boycott if Kanu’s appeal was not heard.

He urged members and supporters to shun gatherings organised by the ruling All Progressives Congress, reject its symbols and withdraw political support from the party.

“Shun every APC gathering, reject their flags, refuse their insignia, and deny them any form of political legitimacy in our land through peaceful civic disengagement.

“Any Igbo person or Biafran who campaigns for or associates with the APC is aligning with the party responsible for the suffering of our people,” he said.

Although insisting that IPOB remained non-partisan, Nwaogu said the group was considering a total boycott of the 2027 elections until Kanu’s appeal was listed and heard.

He also warned members against the Minister of Works, David Umahi, alleging that the minister had expressed his intention to bankroll 4,000 social media influencers to promote the APC and attack Kanu.

Nwaogu further invoked comments attributed to former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on political violence in the state, claiming they had exposed what he described as years of propaganda against IPOB and the Eastern Security Network.

He alleged that political actors had exploited insecurity in the South-East while attributing casualties from political clashes to IPOB and its security outfit.

The IPOB official also questioned what he described as a reduction in insecurity in the region following Kanu’s conviction, arguing that the development raised questions about those responsible for the violence.

He, however, rejected any return to political violence in the South-East, warning politicians against turning the region into a theatre of bloodshed.

“Our land will not be converted into a killing ground for politicians competing for power,” he said.

Nwaogu maintained that Kanu’s release was not a favour to be granted by the Federal Government but a demand for justice that the group would continue to pursue.