IPOB’s Diaspora Directive: Organize Mass Demonstrations to End Kanu’s Political Persecution

 IPOB’s Diaspora Directive: Organize Mass Demonstrations to End Kanu’s Political Persecution

In a fervent call echoing across continents, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a non-violent self-determination movement, has issued a directive to its global family in the diaspora to organize rallies demanding the immediate release of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The memo, dated November 12, 2025, from the Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra, underscores the group's determination to challenge what it describes as the Nigerian state's "flagrant contravention of international rules" in Kanu's ongoing detention.

Signed by Mazi Chika Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State, the document addresses IPOB families worldwide, instructing them to activate local machineries and stage protests in their countries of residence. Mazi Chika Edozie cleared by a Federal High Court in Owerri of unfounded terrorism charges in February 2025, emphasized the moral and legal imperative of the campaign. "Our demand for his immediate release is anchored on the fact that agitation for Self Determination is not a crime but rather an enshrined and guaranteed Human Right for the Indigenous Peoples all over the world," the memo states.

Kanu, a British-Nigerian activist and IPOB founder, has been held by Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) since his abduction and illegal rendition from Kenya in June 2021. IPOB and Kanu's legal team have long argued that the operation violated Kenyan sovereignty, international extradition protocols, and human rights conventions, including rulings from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Recent court filings by Kanu, including a motion on October 30, 2025, to strike out all charges due to the absence of a valid legal basis under Nigerian law, have intensified the pressure on the Federal High Court in Abuja.

This latest mobilization comes on the heels of a broader IPOB offensive launched on the same day, November 12, when the group dispatched an "SOS" letter to 21 foreign diplomatic missions and international bodies, including the United States, United Kingdom, United Nations, and European Union. Titled "Urgent Global Humanitarian Intervention to End the Unlawful Detention and Torture of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu," the appeal highlights Kanu's deteriorating health in DSS custody and accuses Nigeria of state terrorism against peaceful Biafran activists. "This is a global SOS appeal for urgent humanitarian and diplomatic intervention," the letter reads, framing Kanu's case as a threat to "global peace."

The timing aligns with heightened judicial scrutiny in Nigeria. On November 11, Kanu filed a preliminary objection challenging terrorism charges based on a repealed law, arguing it constitutes "flagrant contempt of court" following a 2022 Court of Appeal discharge. His defense team, led by figures like Barrister Christopher Chidera, has slammed recent court assertions that Kanu "has a case to answer" as "legally unfounded," reiterating demands for unconditional release.  Justice James Omotosho has set deadlines for Kanu to open his defense, with potential judgment looming if unmet, though IPOB spokespersons like Comrade Emma Powerful have dismissed such proceedings as a "sham trial" lacking constitutional grounding under Section 36(12) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.

On the streets, the call has already sparked action. Activists under the Concerned Indigenous People of Biafra coalition protested in Abuja on November 12, submitting the SOS letter to diplomatic missions and decrying Kanu's abduction as "international terrorism."  Social media amplifies the urgency, with diaspora voices like those from IPOB Ghana posting rallying cries: "The task of the intelligent is to clarify the confusion of the stupid; the duty of the just is to correct the injustices of the wicked." Earlier this month, protesters stormed Nigeria's diplomatic mission in New York, chanting "#FreeNnamdiKanuNow" and accusing President Bola Tinubu's administration of tyranny. 

IPOB's strategy reflects a multi-pronged approach: legal challenges in Nigerian and international courts, diplomatic lobbying, and grassroots mobilization. Mazi Chika Edoziem's memo signals the start of a "series of actions" by the Directorate to demand an end to "selective application of rules" against Biafrans. With liaison offices in Germany, Spain, South Africa, and Italy listed at the memo's footer, the group is poised to coordinate synchronized protests that could draw global scrutiny.

Human rights advocates have praised the non-violent ethos, noting IPOB's history of securing the release of over 1,500 detained members through legal and diplomatic means. Yet, the Nigerian government maintains its stance, viewing IPOB as a proscribed organization a designation the group contests via ongoing Supreme Court appeals.

As rallies gear up globally, the world watches: Will international pressure tip the scales toward justice, or deepen Nigeria's divide? For Biafrans, the answer lies in unity and persistence. 

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