IPOB RESPONSE TO AFP QUERY
14 AUGUST 2025
RE: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S REPORT ON SOUTHEAST VIOLENCE – IPOB’s UNCOMPROMISING REBUTTAL
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) categorically rejects and condemns the misleading insinuations in Amnesty International’s recent report, which, despite noting our position, recklessly entertains “expert doubts” about IPOB’s peaceful advocacy and non-involvement in violent sit-at-home enforcement. This report risks legitimizing Nigeria’s state-sponsored disinformation campaign against our lawful struggle for self-determination.
IPOB sets the record straight with verifiable facts, grounded in law, evidence, and logic, to dismantle these allegations and reshape the international narrative.
- IPOB Terminated Sit-at-Home in 2023 – No Exceptions
On 24 July 2023, IPOB’s Directorate of State formally and publicly terminated all Monday sit-at-home directives in Southeast Nigeria. This was announced through multiple channels, including press releases, radio broadcasts, and interviews, with coverage by credible Nigerian and international media outlets.
Any subsequent “enforcement” of sit-at-home through violence is, by definition, unauthorized and unattributable to IPOB. Under Nigerian criminal law, corporate liability requires both actus reus (the act) and mens rea (intent), neither of which applies to IPOB. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 20), domesticated in Nigeria, protects our right to peaceful self-determination advocacy. To conflate IPOB with post-2023 violence is legally baseless and factually dishonest.
- Violence Stems from State-Sponsored Saboteurs and Criminal Opportunists
Independent investigations, community testimonies, and even Nigerian police statements confirm that violence in the Southeast is orchestrated by:
State-linked infiltrators deployed to discredit IPOB and justify militarization, a tactic noted by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings (A/HRC/48/NGO/112, 2021);
Criminal gangs exploiting the region’s instability for extortion and lawlessness, unaffiliated with IPOB’s leadership or objectives.
Amnesty International’s failure to distinguish IPOB’s lawful advocacy from these rogue actors reflects a methodological lapse that undermines its credibility and fuels Nigeria’s repression narrative.
- IPOB’s Proven Commitment to Non-Violence
Since its founding in 2012, IPOB has consistently employed peaceful methods—rallies, community engagements, media campaigns, and prayer sessions—in pursuit of self-determination. Key facts:
No court, in Nigeria or globally, has convicted IPOB as an entity of any violent crime.
In FRN v. Nnamdi Kanu (FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015), the Nigerian government has failed to produce admissible evidence linking IPOB to armed activity.
The 2022 Court of Appeal ruling in Abuja discharged Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of all charges and condemned his extraordinary rendition as unlawful, affirming IPOB’s non-violent stance.
Our track record aligns with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 20) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, Articles 1 and 19), to which Nigeria is a signatory.
- Nigeria’s Militarization and Constitutional Violations Depend on Defaming IPOB
The Nigerian government’s strategy is clear: demonize IPOB to justify its excessive military presence in the Southeast. This playbook was evident in 2017’s Operation Python Dance II, launched after baseless claims of IPOB violence, later debunked by independent observers. Today, vague “expert” opinions, absent forensic evidence, serve the same purpose—perpetuating a cycle of state-orchestrated violence and scapegoating.
Moreover, Nigeria’s continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, despite his 2022 acquittal by the Court of Appeal, violates the country’s own Constitution. Section 36(8) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees protection against double jeopardy, prohibiting the re-prosecution of an acquitted individual for the same offense. By maintaining charges against Kanu, Nigeria flouts its constitutional obligations and international human rights law, including ICCPR Article 14(7). As a reputable media organization, AFP has a duty to call out this egregious breach of Nigeria’s Constitution and hold the government accountable for undermining the rule of law.
- Amnesty International’s Duty to Uphold Rigorous Standards
Amnesty International has a storied history of exposing Nigerian security forces’ atrocities against the Igbo people, including the 2016 killings of IPOB members documented in its own reports. Yet, its latest report falls short of the due diligence required under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (Principle 17). Citing anonymous “experts” without verifiable evidence risks amplifying state propaganda and endangering innocent IPOB members to arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and torture—violations Nigeria has been repeatedly cited for by the UN and ECOWAS courts. - IPOB’s Demands
IPOB calls on Amnesty International, AFP, and all global media to:
Acknowledge IPOB’s documented 2023 termination of sit-at-home and refrain from linking us to subsequent violence;
Clearly distinguish IPOB’s peaceful self-determination movement from the actions of unaffiliated criminal elements;
Subject state-driven allegations to rigorous scrutiny, prioritizing forensic evidence over speculative claims;
Hold Nigeria accountable for violating its own Constitution by continuing to detain and prosecute Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in defiance of double jeopardy protections and his 2022 acquittal.
We specifically urge AFP’s Nick Roll to retract any reporting that uncritically parrots Nigeria’s narrative and to issue corrections reflecting IPOB’s verifiable position, while highlighting Nigeria’s constitutional violations in Kanu’s case.
Conclusion: IPOB Stands for Peace and Justice
IPOB operates strictly within the bounds of international law, including the ICCPR and the African Charter, pursuing self-determination through peaceful, lawful means. Suggestions of our involvement in violent sit-at-home enforcement are not only false but part of a deliberate campaign to criminalize our movement and silence the Igbo people’s aspirations. Nigeria’s refusal to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in violation of its own Constitution and international law, exposes the government’s bad faith and contempt for justice.
IPOB remains steadfast in its commitment to non-violence, civilian protection, and the global fight for self-determination. We will not be deterred by state-sponsored defamation, flawed reporting, or constitutional violations. The truth, grounded in evidence and law, will prevail.
COMRADE EMMA POWERFUL SPOKESPERSON//MEDIA AND PUBLICITY SECRETARY FOR IPOB.
FreeMaziNnamdiKanu #BiafraReferendumNow #BiafraExitFromNigeriaNow #SelfDeterminationIsNotCrime
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