IPOB sacks supreme leader Nnamdi Kanu, shuts down office indefinitely

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced the indefinite suspension of the Office of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as well as the position of the Director of Radio Biafra, in a move that signals a major leadership dispute within the organisation.

The decision was reached during a full meeting of the Directorate of State (DOS), IPOB’s highest administrative body, following what it described as a review of intelligence reports concerning communications allegedly emanating from Kanu while in detention.

In a statement signed by Mazi Chikadibia Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State, the group said the DOS would henceforth assume responsibility for the administration and day-to-day management of IPOB affairs.

The leadership explained that the decision became necessary following concerns that certain communications attributed to Kanu had allegedly contributed to arrests and deaths of IPOB members in the South-East.

According to the statement, the leadership was also worried about reports of attempts by some individuals to establish a new militia capable of triggering renewed violence in the region.

The DOS maintained that IPOB was founded collectively by Biafrans in the Diaspora and not by any single individual, stressing that no individual possesses the authority to dissolve the Directorate of State.

The group said the suspension was aimed at preventing individuals from exploiting the authority of the suspended office to engage in criminal activities or make statements capable of endangering members of the movement.

It added that IPOB would no longer accept responsibility for actions carried out by persons who do not currently hold recognised positions within the organisation.

The development comes barely a day after reports emerged that Kanu had dissolved the existing Directorate of State and inaugurated a new leadership structure.

According to a statement issued by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, Kanu had appointed US-based Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ as the head of a newly constituted Directorate of State, with responsibility for coordinating the affairs of the organisation.

The latest announcement effectively deepens the internal leadership struggle within IPOB, with rival factions now laying claim to authority over the movement.

The Directorate of State was originally established by Kanu in 2012 as the administrative arm of IPOB and has served under different leaderships over the years.

Meanwhile, Nnamdi Kanu remains in detention following his conviction in November 2025 by the Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism-related charges, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.Alternative Headline:
Power Struggle Deepens in IPOB as Directorate Suspends Nnamdi Kanu’s Office Indefinitely.

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