By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly criticised an article authored by presidential aide Sunday Dare, titled “Kanu’s Conviction Different From Igboho’s Activism”, describing it as a failed attempt to justify what it called ethnic bias and judicial persecution against its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement issued to journalists on Wednesday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said the publication was “laughable” and reflective of what it termed a desperate effort to defend an unjust conviction.
IPOB maintained that the comparison between Kanu and Yoruba activist Sunday Igboho was misplaced, arguing that the two figures operated in different contexts and could not be equated.
The group described Kanu as a “liberator” pursuing the restoration of Biafra, insisting that history would ultimately vindicate him.
Drawing parallels with prominent global and African figures who were once convicted under controversial circumstances, IPOB cited the late Nigerian statesman Obafemi Awolowo, who was jailed in 1963 for treasonable felony but is today celebrated as a hero in Yorubaland.
The group also referenced anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr., black nationalist figure Malcolm X, Nigeria’s first President Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah and Tanzania’s founding leader Julius Nyerere as examples of individuals who were criminalised during their struggles but later recognised for their roles in shaping history.
According to IPOB, Kanu belongs “in the same esteemed company of freedom fighters who were criminalised by the very systems they sought to dismantle”, adding that historical precedent demonstrates that such figures are often vindicated over time.
The group further alleged that Kanu’s conviction was influenced by ethnic considerations, claiming that key judicial and prosecutorial figures involved in the case were of Yoruba extraction and acted under a Yoruba-led administration. It argued that this undermined the fairness of the trial.
IPOB also defended the establishment of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), stating that it had helped to protect communities in the South-East from insecurity.
The group claimed that earlier warnings issued by Kanu about rising insecurity had been ignored and insisted that current developments vindicated his position.
In its closing remarks, IPOB urged the presidential aide to focus on addressing security challenges and governance issues rather than drawing comparisons it described as divisive.
Neither the Presidency nor Mr Dare had responded publicly to IPOB’s latest remarks at the time of filing this report.
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