The group reiterated its commitment to peaceful agitation for self-determination and vowed not to be deterred by state intimidation.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has raised alarm over what it called state-sponsored hate campaign posters being displayed around Abuja against its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu. 

In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the pro-Biafra group condemned the appearance of inflammatory posters across Abuja depicting Kanu alongside violent imagery and accusatory slogans.

According to Powerful, the posters, featuring Kanu’s image next to a skull-and-crossbones symbol and the words “NNAMDI KANU MUST PAY FOR KILLING OUR SECURITY AGENTS AND INNOCENT CITIZENS”, constitute a dangerous and unlawful attempt to incite public hatred and prejudice the ongoing legal proceedings against Kanu.

“These disgraceful posters are a clear act of psychological warfare, seemingly orchestrated or at least condoned by elements within the Department of State Services (DSS),” IPOB claimed. 

“It is a deliberate effort to poison public opinion, intimidate the judiciary, and subvert due process.”

Kanu, a Nigerian-British citizen and the founder of IPOB, was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and extradited to Nigeria under controversial circumstances. 

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention later ruled that his transfer amounted to an unlawful rendition and called for his unconditional release.

Kanu is currently standing trial in Abuja on a variety of charges, including terrorism and incitement, all of which he and his legal team denied. 

IPOB has consistently argued that the charges are politically motivated and that Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, is an inherently hostile environment for a fair trial.

“No crime alleged against our leader occurred in Abuja, yet he is being tried there,” the group stated. 

“We call on Justice James Omotosho to recuse himself from this case or relocate it to a neutral and legally appropriate venue.”

In its statement, IPOB called on the international community, particularly the British government, to intervene in the matter. 

It urged global human rights organizations and foreign embassies in Nigeria to condemn what it described as “the shameful abuse of the legal process.”

“We are urging the Nigerian judiciary to rise above intimidation,” IPOB said. 

“Let justice not only be done but be seen to be done.”

The group reiterated its commitment to peaceful agitation for self-determination and vowed not to be deterred by state intimidation.

The Indigenous People of Biafra is a separatist movement seeking independence of a Biafran Nation, predominantly in the southeastern and some parts of the South South regions of Nigeria. 

The movement draws historical inspiration from the 1967–1970 Biafran War, a brutal conflict that left over a million people dead, mostly from starvation.

Nnamdi Kanu rose to prominence through Radio Biafra, a controversial platform he used to advocate for the Biafran cause. 

His arrest and detention have sparked both local and international debate about civil liberties, ethnic tensions, and the limits of state power in Nigeria.

The case has continued to draw widespread attention and remains a flashpoint in Nigeria’s turbulent political and ethnic landscape.