The Nigerian Government arrested Kanu in Kenya from where he was renditioned to Nigeria on June 27, 2021, to face charges bordering on treasonable felony. Since his arrest, he has been in the detention facility of the nation's secret police Department of State Services (DSS).
Following the vacuum created by the absence of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the group has appointed Chika Edoziem as its acting leader.
The Nigerian Government arrested Kanu in Kenya from where he was renditioned to Nigeria on June 27, 2021, to face charges bordering on treasonable felony. Since his arrest, he has been in the detention facility of the nation's secret police Department of State Services (DSS).
Recently, the United Nations body on arbitrary detention and torture condemned the government’s process of arrest, torture and detention of the IPOB leader. It recommended that the government should release Kanu within six months and pay him adequate compensation.
SaharaReporters had reported that a Finland-based Nigerian, Prince Simon Ikpa, who claimed to have taken over Radio Biafra from Kanu, last week, announced that IPOB established a Biafran government in exile.
Following the absence of an arrowhead amid Kanu’s incarceration, IPOB through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful announced on Sunday that Edoziem would be acting as the leader of IPOB henceforth pending when Kanu will be released.
The pro-Biafra group denied forming any government in exile, asking the public to disregard such information which it described as fake news.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra (DOS) headed by Mazi Chika Edoziem is at the helm of affairs of the Biafra movement. Whenever our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, comes out, he hands over the IPOB structure back to him.
“The DOS gives letters to our people for asylum, and every government in the world accepts them and grants asylum to such asylum seekers, and they communicate with IPOB. There is no other government more than that,” Powerful said.
The group maintained that IPOB had legitimate and well-established institutions and a well-structured administrative hierarchy that oversaw the day-to-day running of its affairs.
IPOB claimed that all diplomatic missions and countries knew about the Biafra agitation and that they had been communicating with the group.
The group’s statement read in part, “We, the global movement and noble family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to reiterate once again to Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom across the globe that IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu has not set up any Government In Exile (GIE).
“We, therefore, dissociate ourselves completely from the purported government in exile.
“IPOB has legitimate and well-established Institutions and a well-structured administrative hierarchy that oversees the day-to-day running of Biafra affairs.
“Already, all diplomatic missions and countries of the world know about the Biafra agitation and they communicate with IPOB as the responsible authority that oversees the affairs of the Biafran people, be it nationally or internationally.”