The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly condemned what it described as a deliberate media campaign by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to misrepresent its activities and link the organization to controversial separatist figure, Simon Ekpa.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB distanced itself from Ekpa, categorically stating that he is not and has never been a member of the group led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. According to the statement, Ekpa is the leader of a separate group known as the “Biafra Liberation Army (BLA),” which IPOB described as a “criminal gang” used by politicians to discredit their non-violent struggle for Biafran self-determination.
“The APC government, in its desperation to derail the legal proceedings of our leader and silence the outcry over human rights violations in the southeast, has resorted to fake news and propaganda,” IPOB alleged.
The group also dismissed recent media reports suggesting that a Finnish court had approved Ekpa’s extradition to Nigeria, labeling them as “fabricated” and “timed to distract” from recent engagements by Igbo veterans with the U.S. State Department regarding alleged killings of indigenous people in Nigeria.
IPOB emphasized that it remains committed to a peaceful and lawful pursuit of Biafra through a United Nations-supervised referendum, and warned local and international media to desist from linking it to Ekpa’s actions.
“Any person or organization promoting Simon Ekpa as an IPOB member is aiding the APC government’s misinformation campaign,” the statement said.
The group called on the international community and human rights organizations to scrutinize narratives from the Nigerian government and support the call for justice, including the release of their detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“The world is watching. No amount of propaganda can suppress the truth or derail our legitimate struggle,” IPOB concluded.
