The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the indefinite suspension of the Office of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu , and the position of Director of Radio Biafra, marking a significant escalation in the organisation’s internal leadership dispute.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the Directorate of State (DOS), IPOB’s highest administrative organ, following a review of intelligence reports concerning communications allegedly issued in Kanu’s name while he remains in detention.
In a statement signed by Mazi Chikadibia Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State, the group said the DOS would immediately assume full responsibility for the administration and daily operations of IPOB.
According to the statement, the move was prompted by concerns that some communications attributed to Kanu may have contributed to the arrest and deaths of IPOB members across the South-East. The leadership also expressed fears over reports that certain individuals were attempting to establish a new militia that could reignite violence in the region.
The DOS stressed that IPOB was established collectively by Biafrans in the Diaspora and not by any single individual, insisting that no person has the authority to dissolve the Directorate of State.
It said the suspension was intended to prevent individuals from using the authority of the affected offices to carry out criminal activities or make statements capable of endangering members of the movement. The group further stated that it would no longer be accountable for actions taken by persons who do not occupy recognised positions within the organisation.
The announcement comes barely 24 hours after reports emerged that Kanu had dissolved the existing Directorate of State and unveiled a new leadership structure.
In a statement issued by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, Kanu was said to have appointed US-based Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ to head a newly reconstituted Directorate of State tasked with coordinating the organisation’s affairs.
The latest development highlights an intensifying power struggle within IPOB, with rival factions now claiming authority over the movement.
The Directorate of State was originally created by Kanu in 2012 as IPOB’s administrative arm and has operated under different leaderships since its establishment.
