IPOB Suspends Nnamdi Kanu’s Office Indefinitely as Leadership Crisis Deepens

IPOB Suspends Nnamdi Kanu’s Office Indefinitely as Leadership Crisis Deepens

A major leadership crisis has erupted within the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) after the group announced the indefinite suspension of the Office of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, along with the position of Director of Radio Biafra.

The decision was reached during a meeting of the Directorate of State (DOS), IPOB’s highest administrative body, following a review of intelligence reports concerning communications allegedly linked to Kanu from detention.

In a statement signed by Mazi Chikadibia Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State, the group disclosed that the DOS would now take full control of the organisation’s administration and day-to-day operations.

According to the leadership, the move was prompted by concerns that some messages attributed to Kanu may have contributed to the arrest and deaths of IPOB members across the South-East.

The DOS also raised alarm over reports that certain individuals were allegedly attempting to establish a new militia force capable of reigniting violence in the region.

Defending its decision, the leadership stressed that IPOB was founded collectively by Biafrans in the Diaspora and not by any single individual, insisting that no one person has the authority to dissolve the Directorate of State.

The group said the suspension was necessary to prevent individuals from using the authority of the affected offices to engage in criminal activities or issue directives that could endanger members of the movement.

It further declared that IPOB would no longer be held responsible for actions taken by individuals who do not currently occupy recognised positions within the organisation.

The announcement comes just a day after reports surfaced claiming that Kanu had dissolved the existing Directorate of State and appointed a new leadership team.

In a statement issued by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful, Kanu was said to have named US-based Mazi Chris Nwaọgụ as head of a newly constituted Directorate of State tasked with overseeing the organisation’s affairs.

The latest development has intensified the power struggle within IPOB, with rival factions now competing for control and legitimacy within the movement.

Notably, the Directorate of State was originally established by Kanu in 2012 as IPOB’s administrative arm and has operated under various leadership structures over the years.

Meanwhile, Kanu remains in detention after being convicted by the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2025 on terrorism-related charges, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.Headline options: