The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Nigerian Army of spreading misinformation and exerting undue influence on judges presiding over the trial of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. In a statement released on Monday, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, dismissed recent claims by the Army, calling them “a lie from the pit of hell.”
The statement, titled “Nigerian Army Should Stop Intimidating and Misleading Judges with Fake News about IPOB,” alleges that the Army routinely releases misleading information whenever significant court proceedings concerning Kanu approach. IPOB says this alleged misinformation campaign is designed to sway judicial opinions and tarnish the organisation’s image.
Emma Powerful criticised the Army’s tactics as dishonourable, accusing them of damaging their credibility with actions he described as “lacking in class, honour, and dignity.” He questioned the Army’s portrayal of IPOB, asserting that the organisation’s history and leadership are matters of public record, well-known to the Nigerian Army.
“Is the Army ignorant of the primary charge against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu — that he is the founder and leader of IPOB?” Powerful asked. “How can they now claim to have arrested another ‘founding father’ of IPOB, which is patently untrue?”
The IPOB statement went on to address a pattern it claims has developed in which Army press conferences appear designed to pressure judges to adjourn or rule against Kanu in court. “Each time there is a case involving Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Nigerian Army holds sham press conferences to influence the judiciary,” the statement read. IPOB called on the public to dismiss what it described as the Army’s “blatant propaganda,” adding that such actions only serve to undermine public trust in Nigeria’s judicial processes.
Powerful concluded by reaffirming IPOB’s position that it would not be intimidated by what it termed as government tactics to distort the truth and reiterated that Kanu remains IPOB’s sole leader and founder.
