IPOB Rejects Umahi’s Claim of Negotiation for Kanu’s Release

By Ede Favour, Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has dissociated itself from any move aimed at negotiating with the Federal Government for the unconditional release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

IPOB’s stance came against the backdrop of a report credited to the Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi, to the effect that the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB freedom fighter, should not be tied to political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

As the Federal Government is believed to mull over how it can negotiate with Kanu ahead of the upcoming elections, information got to Kanu in the DSS dungeon where he is being detained, that the negotiations which contain conditions given to Kanu for his release by the Federal Government, include; no public rallies or gatherings of more than 10 people; no media interviews; trying to restrict him from granting interviews to the media, whether in print, electronic or any other form; surrendering of his Nigerian and British passports for monitoring of his movements; and making use of his social media accounts.

IPOB described this as reckless and designed to mislead the public. According to IPOB, Kanu’s release could only be achieved through a United Nations-supervised referendum that would determine the political future of the Biafran people.

Umahi, according to the report, emphasized that Kanu’s release should not be used as a condition for political support, particularly from the South East Region.

Umahi made this statement while addressing Journalists in Lagos, praising Tinubu’s leadership and expressing optimism that Kanu’s release would be achieved through dialogue rather than pressure or political demands.

The Minister dismissed reports that the South East Region was demanding Kanu’s release as a prerequisite for backing President Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement signed by the group’s spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB warned against what it called laughable propaganda and insulting narratives suggesting that Kanu was seeking conditional release from the Nigerian Government.

IPOB declared that there were no negotiations whatsoever involving Kanu accepting any so-called conditions from the Federal Government.

The statement said Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021 after being extraordinarily renditioned from Kenya, was not seeking compromise or rehabilitation, but remained resolute in his demand for a United Nation’s referendum for Biafra’s independence.

‘Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not a content creator but a freedom fighter for the Biafrans. Tell me a man that knows his worth and I will show you Nnamdi Kanu.

‘Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been in detention for some years now for an offence he didn’t commit was still kept in a special cell by the Federal Government without trial, even though he has been released by the court,’ the statement read, while emphasizing that any attempt to negotiate Kanu’s release without addressing the underlying issues driving the agitation for Biafra’s self-determination would be unacceptable, wondering if they were above the law.

IPOB maintained that its rejection of any terms for an unconditional release hinged on the fact that Kanu had not entered into any form of negotiations with the Federal Government that included conditions for his release.

The group restated its long-standing demand for a UN-backed referendum to determine the political future of the Biafran people.

It described Umahi’s claims as an insult to both himself and the millions of people in the South East who believed in the Biafran cause.