IPOB Denounces Proscription, Alleges Government Misuse of Judiciary
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has voiced strong opposition to its proscription by the Nigerian government, calling the action a mockery of justice and a serious breach of constitutional and judicial norms.
In a press release issued by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group accused the APC-led administration of employing unethical tactics to label its non-violent campaign for self-determination as illegal.
Referencing a 2017 decision by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, IPOB emphasized that the court found no credible evidence to support claims that the organization is unlawful. The case, identified as Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/15, was cited as proof of IPOB’s lawful status.
Despite that ruling, IPOB contended that the government at the time, under President Muhammadu Buhari, secretly obtained an ex parte order from Justice Abdul Kafarati to ban the group, allegedly without allowing IPOB or its legal team to present a defense. This, the group claims, violates Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing.
“The government could not achieve its aim through an open and just legal process, so it resorted to underhanded judicial manipulation,” the statement said. IPOB dismissed the proscription order as legally baseless, insisting it lacked proper procedural backing.
The group further expressed disappointment in the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the proscription, arguing that a judgment rooted in legal irregularities cannot be legitimized by subsequent endorsements.
Restating its commitment to peaceful activism, IPOB urged the international community, human rights organizations, and civil society to critically examine what it termed a gross miscarriage of justice and to demand that the Nigerian government rescind the proscription.
“We refuse to be intimidated by unconstitutional bans or state-backed repression,” IPOB declared. “The eyes of the world are watching, and history will not be kind to those who sacrifice justice on the altar of political convenience.”
