IPOB's Appoints Chika Edoziem As Acting Leader Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Prolonged Detention

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has announced Chika Edoziem, as its new acting leader following the prolonged detention of its substantive leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

IPOB disclosed this development in a statement issued on Sunday by its Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful.

The successionist group noted that Edoziem would be acting pending the time Nnamdi Kanu will be released from the custody of the Department of State Services facility in Abuja.

IPOB also debunked reports that it is forming any government in exile, and asked the public to disregard such information, describing it 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 in the statement.

While maintaining that IPOB had legitimate and well-established institutions and a well-structured administrative hierarchy that oversaw the day-to-day running of its affairs, the pro-Biafra group claimed that all diplomatic missions and countries knew about the Biafra agitation and that they have been communicating with the group.

The group’s statement in part read, “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.”