A leading human rights lawyer and public interest advocate, Dr. Barrister Maxwell Opara, has issued a firm public statement on behalf of his client, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to correct what he described as a dangerous and persistent campaign of misinformation regarding the status of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Speaking under the lawful instruction of Kanu, who remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), Opara categorically declared that IPOB is not a terrorist organization but a peaceful socio-political movement exercising the legitimate right to self-determination under Nigerian and international law.
He stressed that IPOB’s activities are grounded in peaceful advocacy, democratic engagement, civic education, and the lawful pursuit of a sovereign homeland for the peoples of the old Eastern region of Nigeria. According to Opara, the group’s mission is supported by instruments like the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Nigerian Constitution, not insurrection or militancy.
Opara described the 2017 ex parte court order used to proscribe IPOB under the Buhari administration as controversial and unconstitutional, noting that it was obtained without IPOB’s knowledge or opportunity to defend itself—a violation of the principles of fair hearing. He added that the matter remains under appeal at the Supreme Court, making any continued reference to IPOB as a terrorist organization sub judice and legally improper.
The legal practitioner also condemned what he termed as routine, baseless accusations by security agencies, particularly in the southeast, linking IPOB to violent incidents without evidence or investigation. He cited a recent attack in Imo State, which was immediately blamed on IPOB by the police despite a lack of arrests, suspects, or prosecutions, warning that such profiling is defamatory and actionable.
Issuing a stern notice to media houses, commentators, and public officials, Opara stated that any further attempt to label IPOB as a terrorist organization—while the Supreme Court appeal remains pending—will be met with legal action, including suits for defamation and injunctive relief.
He reaffirmed IPOB’s position as a non-violent civil group and urged that national discussions on the issue be based on facts and law, not executive narratives or ethnic profiling. He concluded by expressing unwavering support for Nnamdi Kanu’s continued legal battle, warning that any misuse of state power to silence lawful self-determination threatens democracy itself.
