… Accuses Ex-Officials Of Sabotaging His Legal Battles, Abandoning Him In Detention
…Directs Supporters To Recognise New Directorate Led By Chris Nwaogu
Daud Olatunji
The imprisoned leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has announced the indefinite expulsion of 10 senior members of the group’s dissolved Directorate of State, accusing them of betrayal, sabotage, and attempts to hijack the separatist movement.
In a statement attributed to Kanu and shared on Sunday via X by his brother, Kanunta Kanu, the IPOB leader declared that the affected individuals had lost all authority to speak or act on behalf of the organisation.
He said the decision was taken under powers vested in the office of the “Supreme Leader,” insisting that the expulsions were made in line with IPOB’s code of conduct and disciplinary framework.
“The authority to appoint, discipline, suspend, remove, dissolve, or expel any officer or administration of IPOB is vested in the office of the Supreme Leader,” the statement read, adding that the action was “pursuant to that authority.”
The affected persons include Chika Edoziem, Tony Nzurumike, Austin Agbanyim, Chukwudi Oforma, Isaiah Ubah, Collins Chinedu, Chinasa Nworu, Fidelis Ejiogu, Chidinma Nworu (also known as Juliet Edward Filatro), and Keke Uda.
Kanu explained that the expelled members were part of the third Directorate of State he constituted while in detention at Kuje Custodial Centre in March 2017. He noted that although the administration’s initial six-month tenure expired in September 2017, it continued to operate under his discretion until it was eventually dissolved.
He stressed that while the dissolution of the directorate was administrative, the latest action amounted to disciplinary measures based on alleged misconduct before and after the dissolution.
Kanu accused the affected former officials of abandoning him and other detained IPOB members during critical periods of incarceration, alleging that they failed to provide adequate legal, welfare, and medical support.
He further alleged that they frustrated fundraising efforts by support groups, including AVID, Rising Sun, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, which were aimed at securing medical assistance for him during periods of ill-health while in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The IPOB leader also accused them of undermining his legal team, claiming they collaborated with unnamed political actors in the South-East to weaken ongoing court proceedings and distort internal narratives within the movement.
According to him, the group circulated false claims that his return to court after the Court of Appeal judgment of October 13, 2022, was orchestrated by his brothers, whereas his legal team—led at the time by Chief Mike Ozekhome and Ifeanyi Ejiofor—had taken the decision to challenge a Federal Government application for stay of execution.
He also alleged that the expelled members propagated claims that he would only secure his release under President Bola Tinubu if he abandoned the Biafra agitation, describing such narratives as deliberate misinformation.
Kanu further accused them of manipulating internal structures, altering IPOB’s oath of office to enforce personal loyalty, and removing officers he had previously appointed, replacing them with their own loyalists.
He warned that anyone or group that continues to associate with the expelled members would be regarded as acting against IPOB’s interests and the broader Biafra movement.
The IPOB leader directed members and supporters worldwide to rally behind the newly constituted fourth Directorate of State, led by Chris Nwaogu, insisting that the movement remained firmly under his leadership despite his continued detention.
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