The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) confirmed on Sunday, November 1, 2026, that its legal team located 83 of its members who were previously feared dead in detention, alleging they were secretly transferred to federal correctional facilities across Northern Nigeria.
In an official statement released on Monday, November 2, 2026, IPOB official Mazi Nwaọgụ, speaking on behalf of the group’s Fourth Directorate, disclosed that the missing individuals were uncovered during an ongoing legal audit of security facilities nationwide.
According to Nwaọgụ, the members were moved from the military facility at Wawa Barracks in Kainji, Niger State, to three federal prisons situated in Kuje (Federal Capital Territory), Keffi (Nasarawa State), and Suleja (Niger State), where they were held without public knowledge or access to legal representation.
Nwaọgụ accused federal authorities of using undisclosed detentions to prolong the incarceration of South-East youths and cover up state operations.
He emphasized that the group’s legal team is taking immediate action to secure the unconditional release of the 83 detainees, reiterating that their freedom, alongside the release of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, remains the core priority of their legal efforts.
Federal government officials and the Nigerian Correctional Service have not yet issued a formal response to the claims.
