IPOB Warns Of ‘Unimaginable’ Consequences, End Of Nigeria If ‘Anything Untoward’ Happens To Nnamdi Kanu In DSS Custody
IPOB Warns Of ‘Unimaginable’ Consequences, End Of Nigeria If ‘Anything Untoward’ Happens To Nnamdi Kanu In DSS Custody
IPOB said the situation had reached a breaking point, warning that “any further deterioration” could spark a crisis with grave consequences for Nigeria and the wider region.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has raised an alarm over the worsening health condition of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, warning the Nigerian government and its international partners that there will be dire consequences if anything happens to Kanu.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of deliberately endangering Kanu’s life through prolonged detention and poor medical care.
IPOB said the situation had reached a breaking point, warning that “any further deterioration” could spark a crisis with grave consequences for Nigeria and the wider region.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is priceless, and no amount of blackmail, judicial rascality, or DSS-induced health crisis will be tolerated,” the statement read.
IPOB likened the situation to historic global flashpoints, comparing Nigeria’s continued detention of Kanu to the events leading up to the First World War.
The group insisted that the extraordinary rendition of Kanu from Kenya in 2021 violated international law, and described his continued detention as an act of provocation that risked plunging the South-East into turmoil.
“If anything untoward happens to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the consequences will be unimaginable, and Nigeria as presently constituted will cease to exist,” IPOB warned.
The separatist group also accused the British government of complicity, claiming that London’s “neo-colonial interests” had emboldened Abuja to keep Kanu in custody.
IPOB further lashed out at what it called “Igbo collaborators” and “political jobbers,” insisting that history would vindicate its struggle.
IPOB called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the DSS, and international stakeholders to ensure Kanu’s unconditional release without delay.
“Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder, and IPOB will not be held responsible for what happens if this provocation continues,” IPOB declared.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges of treason and terrorism-related offences after spearheading a renewed agitation for the creation of an independent state of Biafra in Nigeria’s South-East.
He was granted bail in 2017 but fled the country, resurfacing in Israel and later in the United Kingdom.
In June 2021, he was intercepted and returned to Nigeria under controversial circumstances widely described by his supporters as an illegal abduction from Kenya.
Since then, he has been in DSS custody, facing multiple charges.
Despite repeated court orders granting him bail or directing his transfer to a correctional facility, the Nigerian government has maintained that Kanu poses a security threat.
His detention has fueled tensions in the South-East, where sit-at-home protests, violence, and economic disruption have been linked to IPOB’s activities.
Kanu’s health has been a recurring concern, with his lawyers and family members repeatedly claiming that he requires urgent medical attention not available in detention.
