The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has defended the recent expulsion of several former top officials of the movement, accusing them of actions allegedly aimed at undermining its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and weakening the Biafran struggle.
In a public statement issued on June 22, 2026, Deputy Head of the newly constituted Fourth Directorate of State (DOS), Solomon Egbo, said the decision followed what he described as years of misconduct, disobedience, and betrayal by members of the dissolved Third Directorate of State and their associates.
According to Egbo, the expelled officials allegedly failed to provide adequate support to Kanu and other detained IPOB members during periods of incarceration, neglected welfare and medical needs, and ignored directives aimed at securing the IPOB leader's release.
The IPOB official further alleged that the former leadership obstructed fundraising efforts intended to finance medical treatment for Kanu while he was in detention and engaged in actions that weakened legal efforts seeking his freedom.
He also accused the affected individuals of maintaining relationships with former members of Kanu's legal team after they had allegedly been removed from their positions, claiming such actions contributed to divisions within the movement.
Egbo referenced the October 13, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal which discharged Kanu, arguing that the former leadership failed to adequately defend the ruling and instead promoted narratives that blamed members of Kanu's family for subsequent legal developments.
Among other allegations, he accused the expelled officials of spreading misinformation, attacking members of Kanu's family, discouraging advocacy efforts for his release, altering internal organizational structures, and attempting to establish a parallel leadership within IPOB.
The statement further alleged that the former officials promoted narratives suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would not release Kanu unless he renounced the Biafra agitation, a claim Egbo described as defeatist and damaging to the movement.
Consequently, he announced that the expulsions would take immediate effect and remain indefinite, stressing that the affected individuals no longer represent IPOB in any capacity.
Egbo called on IPOB members worldwide to unite behind the Fourth Directorate of State under the leadership of Chris Nwaọgụ and remain committed to the campaign for Kanu's unconditional release and the actualisation of Biafra.
The statement marks the latest development in the ongoing internal disputes within IPOB as different factions continue to contest the direction and leadership of the separatist movement.
