TDThe Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the indefinite suspension of the office of the Leader of IPOB and the position of Director of Radio Biafra, both previously held by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The decision was contained in a statement dated June 18, 2026, and signed by Mazi Chikadibia Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State of IPOB.
Reasons for the Decision
According to the statement, the move is part of ongoing efforts to reposition and strengthen the Biafran self-determination movement and make it more responsive to its core objectives.
The Directorate said it reviewed intelligence reports concerning alleged interactions involving security agencies and Kanu during his detention in Sokoto prison.
It also cited concerns over monitored communications, security breaches, arrests and deaths of IPOB members, as well as alleged plans by certain individuals to establish a new militia capable of triggering violence in the South-East.
The body maintained that IPOB is a collective self-determination movement founded and nurtured by Biafrans in the diaspora and not by any single individual.
It further argued that no individual possesses the authority to dissolve the Directorate of State, which it described as the apex institution overseeing the affairs of the movement.
Suspension Takes Immediate Effect
In the resolution, the Directorate stated that it had:
- Suspended indefinitely and with immediate effect the office of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra and the position of Director of Radio Biafra previously held by Nnamdi Kanu until further notice.
- Reaffirmed that the pursuit of Biafran self-determination remains peaceful and non-violent and should not be used to justify actions that could lead to hardship, injuries, or deaths among supporters.
Objectives of the Measure
The Directorate said the suspension was intended to:
- Prevent individuals or groups from engaging in criminal activities or acting under the purported authority of the suspended office.
- Curb what it described as unchecked actions, reckless assumptions of authority, and unguarded statements that could result in arrests, torture, or deaths of Biafran youths.
- Stop non-affiliated groups from claiming legitimacy through the existence of the suspended office to carry out activities inconsistent with IPOB’s stated mission.
Accountability Clarified
The statement added that any criminal activity carried out in the name of the suspended office would not be attributed to IPOB but to the individuals responsible.
It further declared that the organization would not accept responsibility for actions taken by persons who do not hold active positions within IPOB or who have not been authorized by the Directorate of State to act on behalf of the movement.
The announcement marks a significant development within the pro-Biafra movement and is likely to generate reactions among IPOB members and observers of separatist politics in Nigeria.
