The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denounced the continued proscription of its organisation by the Federal Government, describing it as a “clear distortion of the rule of law” and a calculated move to bypass due legal process.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB called for the immediate reversal of the “unconstitutional” ban, urging a return to open justice as prescribed by the Nigerian Constitution and upheld by judicial precedent.
According to Powerful, the Federal Government’s resort to an ex parte order to proscribe IPOB — without prior notice or legal representation — amounted to an abuse of judicial process and a direct violation of Section 36 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing.
“The family of IPOB wishes to bring to the attention of the global community the egregious duplicity and outright illegality that underpins the so-called proscription of our organisation,” the statement reads.
The group referenced the March 1, 2017 ruling of Justice Binta Nyako in FRN v. Nnamdi Kanu & Ors (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/15), where charges alleging that IPOB was an unlawful society were struck out due to insufficient evidence. IPOB noted that the ruling has never been overturned or appealed, thereby standing as the valid legal position on the organisation’s status.
Despite this, the Federal Government later secured an ex parte proscription order from Justice Abdul Kafarati of the same Federal High Court—an action IPOB described as a secretive and unconstitutional tactic to criminalise a peaceful movement.
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“The so-called proscription secured without notice to IPOB or our legal representatives is a blatant violation of Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution. It is a flagrant abuse of the court process,” Powerful asserted.
IPOB further criticised the use of ex parte motions in matters as consequential as the designation of an organisation, stressing that the law requires such hearings to be conducted with notice and participation of the affected party. It argued that supporting the proscription, whether through ignorance or willful complicity, only deepens the erosion of justice in the country.
The group also emphasized that the proper legal fora for any ruling on IPOB’s status remain with Justice Nyako’s court or that of Justice Omotosho, where related matters are still under adjudication with due process.
IPOB concluded by reaffirming its commitment to peaceful advocacy for the self-determination of the Biafran people, while calling on the international community, human rights organisations, and global justice advocates to speak out against what it described as a “travesty.”
“The world must know that our movement is rooted in the principles of justice, equity, and nonviolence,” the statement concluded. “We reject any attempt to delegitimise us through unconstitutional means.”