The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the suspension of the Office of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as well as the Office of the Director of Radio Biafra, in a move that marks a significant shift in the leadership structure of the separatist group.
The decision was reportedly reached during a meeting of IPOB's Directorate of State (DOS), where members reviewed intelligence and recent developments surrounding communications allegedly originating from Kanu's detention facility in Sokoto State.
In a statement issued by the Head of the Directorate of State, Chika Edoziem, the group announced that the Directorate would assume full responsibility for the administration and operations of the organisation.
According to the statement, IPOB was established and sustained through the collective efforts of Biafrans across the diaspora and not by any single individual. The Directorate maintained that no person possesses the authority to dissolve the body, describing it as the highest decision-making organ of the movement.
The leadership said concerns over messages allegedly emanating from Kanu's detention had contributed to the decision, claiming that some communications had exposed members to arrests and heightened security risks.
It also raised concerns over reports that certain individuals were attempting to establish a separate armed structure, warning that such actions could trigger renewed violence in the South-East.
The Directorate stated that suspending the affected offices was necessary to prevent what it described as reckless statements and actions capable of endangering supporters and exposing youths in the region to arrest, torture and loss of life.
Furthermore, the group declared that any unlawful activities carried out in the name of the suspended offices would no longer be recognised as actions of IPOB, insisting that only duly authorised officials could speak or act on behalf of the organisation.
The development comes barely 24 hours after reports emerged that Kanu had dissolved the existing Directorate of State and approved a new leadership arrangement.
Under the reported structure, United States-based Chris Nwaogu was appointed head of a newly constituted Directorate of State and tasked with coordinating the group's activities under Kanu's authority.
The Directorate of State, established in 2012 as the administrative arm of IPOB, has previously been led by figures including Justin Akujieze, Uchenna Asiegbu and Chika Edoziem, who assumed leadership in 2017 during Kanu's earlier detention.
The latest development highlights growing internal divisions within IPOB as questions continue to surround the group's leadership and future direction.
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