By Comfort Olayinka
The family of detained Biafra agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the Federal Government of orchestrating a sustained campaign of false narratives and media manipulation aimed at discrediting the IPOB leader ahead of his April 29 court hearing.
In a strongly worded statement released Sunday in Abuja and signed by Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the family alleged that recent reports linking IPOB to insecurity in the South-East were part of a deliberate strategy to prejudice the judiciary and damage Kanu’s international image.
Calling the pattern “predictable and timed,” the statement cited a flurry of recent police reports and media headlines implicating IPOB members in criminal acts as a calculated move to sway public perception.
“The hypocrisy is glaring,” the family said, noting that while IPOB is consistently vilified, the same energy isn’t directed at armed herdsmen, who have been accused of widespread violence across Nigeria.
“This deliberate effort seeks to falsely link IPOB to alleged insecurities and crimes in the South East, with the clear intent to influence judicial proceedings in Abuja courts and tarnish Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s reputation before the international community, particularly as his next court hearing approaches on April 29, 2025.
“The pattern is unmistakable and predictable. Each time Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court date nears, a barrage of fabricated stories floods Nigerian media, accusing IPOB of crimes and insecurity in the South East. Recent examples include:
“The latest being: “Police nab three suspected IPOB members, recover N10.3m in Imo”, “Police arrest three suspected IPOB members, recover N10 million”, “Police raid IPOB/ESN hideout in Imo”, “3 arrested as police bust IPOB hideout in Imo”.
“These reports are parts of a calculated media blitz designed to manipulate public perception and prejudice the judiciary against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“This systematic defamation is not only an attack on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB but also a grave assault on justice and fairness.
“We unequivocally condemn this manipulation of the judiciary and demand that it cease immediately.
“The hypocrisy of this media campaign is glaring. While peaceful IPOB is relentlessly vilified, the Nigerian media and authorities remain conspicuously silent on the rampant atrocities committed by Fulani herdsmen, who have been publicly acknowledged as waging a war of conquest against indigenous populations across Nigeria.
“These killer herdsmen, responsible for wave after wave of brutal killings, face no comparable police raids or media scrutiny.
“Why is there such an obsessive focus on IPOB while the real perpetrators of insecurity are neither held accountable nor subjected to the same level of adverse publicity?
“To address this injustice and uncover the true genesis of insecurity in the South East, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s family calls for the immediate establishment of a joint panel of investigators from the United States and the European Union.
“This independent body must be tasked with conducting a thorough, transparent, and unbiased investigation into the root causes of insecurity in Igboland and identifying those truly responsible.
“The Nigerian government’s reliance on false narratives and media propaganda to influence judicial outcomes and discredit a high-profile case like Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s is a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law and erodes public trust in democratic institutions.
“We urge Nigerians, the international community, and all advocates of justice to stand against this orchestrated campaign of defamation and demand accountability.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are committed to a peaceful struggle for self-determination, and no amount of media manipulation will deter this just cause.
“We call on all well-meaning individuals, organizations, and governments to support our demand for an independent investigation and to ensure that justice prevails in Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case.”
The family has now called for a joint U.S.–EU investigative panel to uncover the real roots of insecurity in the South-East, warning that media propaganda threatens Nigeria’s justice system and democratic integrity.
They reaffirmed IPOB’s commitment to peaceful agitation and urged the international community to stand against what they described as a “coordinated media witch-hunt.”
