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By Seyi Babalola
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has challenged the recent ruling of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, accusing the judge of delivering a conviction that violates the Nigerian Constitution and international legal standards.
In a strongly worded statement signed on Friday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group said it would, in the coming days, publish detailed analyses exposing what it described as the “fundamental defects, contradictions, and illegalities” in the court decision involving its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
IPOB insisted that no weapon, explosive, or attack plan was ever linked to Kanu, nor did any witness, civilian or military, testify that he committed any crime known to Nigerian or international law.
“The only thing the Nigerian government continues to criminalize is self-determination,” the group said, citing Article 20 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Articles 1 of both the ICCPR and ICESCR, which guarantee the right to self-determination. IPOB maintained that its agitation for a referendum does not amount to terrorism.
The group argued that the ruling violated Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that no person can be convicted of a criminal offence unless the offence and its penalty are clearly defined in a written law.
“Our questions to Justice Omotosho are simple: What written law did you rely on? Is that law still in existence? Can a repealed law be used to convict a living person?” IPOB asked, accusing the court of attempting to “manufacture an offence from thin air.”
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IPOB also revisited previous clashes with security forces, alleging that its members were victims of military attacks during operations in Nkpor, Aba, Onitsha, Emene, and other locations.
It said no security personnel had been held accountable for the alleged killings, while Kanu, who was in solitary confinement during much of the insecurity in the South-East was being made the scapegoat.
Describing Kanu as a “prisoner of conscience” and a victim of extraordinary rendition, IPOB accused the Nigerian government of political persecution and warned that the ruling further undermines the credibility of the judiciary.
“This is no longer just a Biafra issue. It is a human rights issue, a constitutional issue, an international law issue, and a test of whether Nigeria respects the rule of law,” the statement added.
Despite the legal tensions, IPOB reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful advocacy and said it would continue pushing for a United Nations-supervised referendum on Biafra.
The group vowed to engage international bodies to ensure that the ruling attracts global scrutiny and condemnation.
