IPOB defends Kanu’s expulsion of former leaders, accuses the movement of betrayal

By Steve Oko

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has defended the recent expulsion of members of its dissolved Third Directorate of State (DOS). Solomon Egbo, the Deputy Head of the newly constituted Fourth DOS, said the officials were removed because they undermined the leadership of detained IPOB figure Nnamdi Kanu and threatened the organisation’s survival.

In a statement issued on Monday, Egbo called Kanu’s decision to dissolve the previous leadership structure and expel some of its members “painful but necessary.” He alleged that the expelled officials repeatedly violated the IPOB Constitution and Code of Conduct.

According to him, members of the former DOS leadership abandoned Kanu during his detention, failed to provide adequate support for other detained pro‑Biafra agitators, and ignored directives aimed at securing medical treatment for the IPOB leader while in custody.

Egbo further claimed that the expelled officials frustrated fundraising efforts launched by pro‑Biafra groups to address Kanu’s health challenges during his incarceration.

He also accused the dissolved leadership of working against legal efforts to secure Kanu’s release by attacking members of his legal team and maintaining ties with former IPOB counsel Ifeanyi Ejiofor, despite directives to distance the movement from him.

The IPOB official said the former leadership failed to adequately defend the October 13, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which discharged Kanu and questioned the jurisdiction of Nigerian courts over his trial following his rendition from Kenya.

According to Egbo, rather than consolidating that legal victory, the affected officials promoted narratives blaming members of Kanu’s family for subsequent legal developments. He described the claims as false and intended to justify opposition to the IPOB leader’s authority.

The statement further alleged that the expelled officials spread false accusations against Kanu’s brothers, disregarded repeated directives from the detained leader, and attempted to discourage supporters by claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would only release Kanu if he renounced the Biafra agitation.

Among other allegations, Egbo accused the former officials of fabricating claims that unnamed African countries had advised them to abandon Kanu, removing officers appointed by him without authorisation, and altering the IPOB oath of office to promote loyalty to individuals rather than the movement’s objectives.

He said the actions of the dissolved leadership amounted to a sustained effort to weaken IPOB, undermine Kanu’s influence and create parallel structures within the organisation.

“The expulsions are indefinite and take immediate effect,” Egbo said, insisting that the affected individuals no longer represent IPOB or the Biafran cause.

He urged supporters across Nigeria and the diaspora to rally behind the newly inaugurated Fourth Directorate of State led by Chris Nwaanyị, while reaffirming that the movement’s primary objective remains Kanu’s unconditional release and the actualisation of Biafra.

The development comes amid growing internal tensions within IPOB following Kanu’s dissolution of the Third Directorate of State and the emergence of a new leadership structure.