***Demands International Probe into South-East Insecurity
The family of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the Federal Government of orchestrating a coordinated media campaign aimed at discrediting the Biafra agitator ahead of his next court appearance on April 29, 2025.
In a strongly worded statement issued Sunday in Abuja, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, speaking on behalf of the family, condemned what he described as a “relentless and orchestrated misinformation drive” designed to sway public opinion and prejudice the judiciary.
The statement pointed to a recurring pattern in the Nigerian media, where a wave of negative reports linking IPOB to violence and criminal activity in the South-East region surfaces shortly before each court hearing involving Kanu.
“The pattern is unmistakable and predictable,” the statement read. “Each time Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court date nears, a barrage of fabricated stories floods the media, accusing IPOB of crimes and insecurity in the South-East. It is clearly an attempt to portray him in bad light before the judiciary and the international community.”
Citing recent headlines such as “Police nab three suspected IPOB members, recover N10.3m in Imo”, the family described the reports as “part of a calculated media blitz” aimed at demonizing Kanu and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), while ignoring what they called the “rampant atrocities” of other armed groups.
The family alleged that while IPOB has consistently advocated a peaceful path to self-determination, security agencies and the media have turned a blind eye to the growing violence by suspected Fulani herdsmen across the country.
“The hypocrisy is glaring. While IPOB is relentlessly vilified, the authorities remain silent on the brutal killings by herdsmen across Nigeria,” the family charged. “Why is IPOB being obsessively targeted while the real perpetrators of insecurity are left unchecked?”
As tensions continue to rise ahead of the upcoming court session, Kanu’s family is calling for an independent international investigation into the true causes of insecurity in the South-East. They are urging the United States and the European Union to set up a joint investigative panel to uncover the real actors behind the violence.
“This is not just an attack on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB,” the family added. “It is a grave assault on justice and fairness. The use of media manipulation to influence court proceedings undermines the rule of law and democratic values.”
The statement ended with an appeal to Nigerians and the international community to resist what it called “a dangerous campaign of defamation,” and to support the call for justice, transparency, and peaceful resolution.
“No amount of propaganda will stop our peaceful pursuit of self-determination,” the family vowed. “The truth must prevail.”
