The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast, describing it as “divisive, hate-filled, and misleading.”
In his October 1, 2025 address, Tinubu praised the military for its sacrifices in combating insecurity across the country, while singling out Boko Haram in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and IPOB alongside its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), as drivers of violence in the South-East.
“We see their victories in their blood and sweat to stamp out Boko Haram terror in the North-East, IPOB/ESN terror in the South-East, and banditry and kidnapping,” Tinubu said, while commending security forces for restoring peace to several communities.
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But IPOB, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, rejected the President’s remarks, insisting that the movement under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu is globally recognised as peaceful and committed to nonviolent self-determination.
“It is hypocritical and insulting for Tinubu to demonise IPOB while exonerating Fulani herdsmen who continue to terrorise communities across Nigeria,” the group stated, accusing the government of double standards.
IPOB also faulted the legal basis of its proscription, stressing that no court had validly designated it as a terrorist organisation. It accused successive administrations of using the label to justify “massacres and extrajudicial killings” of its members.
Reiterating that it cannot be equated with extremist groups like Boko Haram or ISWAP, IPOB urged the international community to note what it described as state propaganda aimed at criminalising Igbo people.
“The struggle for Biafra’s liberation is a just cause rooted in truth, justice, and international law. No amount of blackmail will erase that,” the group declared.
