The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has renewed its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, while warning that it would enforce a total boycott of upcoming elections across Biafraland if his appeal is not heard.
The group made the position known in its weekly address issued on Sunday by Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ, Head of the Fourth Administration of IPOB’s Directorate of State (DOS).
Nwaọgụ said the continued detention of Kanu, alongside the release of other persons allegedly detained in connection with the Biafran struggle, remained the organisation’s major priority.
According to him, IPOB would not withdraw its planned election boycott unless Kanu’s appeal was listed and heard by the appropriate court.
“The boycott is not a threat. It is a promise,” Nwaọgụ said, urging the Nigerian authorities to list Kanu’s appeal and defend the conviction in court.
He cited Section 36(12) of the Nigerian Constitution in arguing that Kanu could not be convicted of an offence unless the offence and its punishment were prescribed by written law.
The IPOB official also claimed that the organisation’s lawyers had commenced appeals for members it described as illegally detained, while injured members were receiving medical attention.
He said IPOB’s prison outreach and welfare activities were continuing in parts of the South-East, including Owerri, Enugu, Abakaliki and Igweocha.
IPOB Highlights Catalonia Engagement
The group also highlighted what it described as renewed engagement between IPOB and Catalan representatives in Spain.
Nwaọgụ said IPOB representatives attended an annual festival in Catalonia following an invitation extended to the organisation.
He described the engagement as a continuation of a relationship he said Kanu established with Catalan political leaders in 2014.
According to him, the Biafran flag had previously been displayed alongside the Catalan and European flags during Kanu’s engagement with Catalan representatives.
Nwaọgụ said IPOB appreciated the Catalan people for what he described as their continued recognition of the Biafran struggle for self-determination.
Group References UK Separatist Debate
The IPOB leader also drew attention to political discussions surrounding the future of the United Kingdom.
He referenced reports of leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland meeting in Cardiff amid renewed discussions about the future of the UK.
Nwaọgụ linked the development to previous comments attributed to Kanu concerning the rights of nations to determine their political future.
He argued that the renewed debate in Britain had given greater attention to questions about self-determination, which IPOB has long cited in its campaign for an independent Biafran state.
The IPOB official also referred to what he described as growing international attention to the Biafran issue, including developments involving Washington and Jerusalem.
IPOB Warns Against Factionalism
Nwaọgụ further rejected what he described as attempts to create factions within IPOB.
“There is one IPOB. There is one Command. There is one Supreme Leader — Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” he said.
He accused individuals allegedly promoting competing structures of attempting to divide the organisation, insisting that IPOB remained united.
The group also announced plans to inaugurate a team to begin what it described as a structured unification process involving “all genuine Biafran groups.”
Nwaọgụ said the initiative was intended to prevent what he called the confusion and divisions of previous years.
IPOB Defends ESN Support
On security in the South-East, Nwaọgụ said IPOB would continue supporting the activities of the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
He, however, urged members and supporters of the Biafran movement to remain disciplined and avoid actions that could trigger violence or provide what he described as justification for the group’s opponents to clamp down on its members.
“Do not give our enemies the riot they are praying for,” he said.
Nwaọgụ maintained that IPOB’s support for ESN would not be withdrawn to appease the Federal Government or state governors.
Group Challenges IPOB Proscription
The IPOB official also described the proscription of the organisation as illegal and said the group’s appeal at the Supreme Court remained pending.
He argued that the government’s proscription order did not give security agencies the authority to violate the rights of individuals or abuse people suspected of belonging to IPOB.
“A Gazette is not a licence to kidnap anyone. It is not a licence to torture anyone. It is not a licence to disappear anyone,” he said.
He added that IPOB would continue challenging what it described as injustices against its members through legal channels.
The statement concluded with a renewed call for Kanu’s release and an appeal to Biafrans to remain united.
Nwaọgụ reiterated that IPOB would proceed with its planned election boycott if Kanu’s appeal was not listed and heard, saying, “If Nigeria wants the boycott withdrawn, it knows what to do. List the appeal. Hear it.”
The weekly address was issued on September 13, 2026, under the hashtags