The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the Federal Government to release 83 of its members allegedly transferred from military custody at Wawa Barracks in Niger State to correctional facilities in Kuje, Keffi and Suleja.
The group made the demand in a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful. IPOB said the development followed the reported release of four Biafran supporters who had allegedly spent about four years in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to the group, its legal team had identified 83 members who were allegedly moved from Wawa Barracks to correctional facilities in the three locations. It added that its lawyers had submitted the names of the detainees’ legal representatives to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
IPOB maintained that the release of the four individuals did not resolve what it described as the continued detention and persecution of its members. It also alleged that other Biafran supporters remained in detention across the country, with some reportedly serving life sentences.
The group questioned the legal basis for its proscription, arguing that the process through which it was declared unlawful was defective. It also challenged the validity of the proscription instrument, alleging that it did not have the presidential approval required under Section 2(1)(c) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013.
IPOB further cited a judgment by Justice James Omotosho in MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd v. FCCPC, arguing that statutory requirements should be strictly followed in matters involving the rights of its members. The group also referred to what it described as an existing inter partes ruling declaring that IPOB was not an unlawful society. It disclosed that an appeal concerning its legal status and the validity of its proscription was pending before the Supreme Court.
IPOB insisted that individuals should not be imprisoned simply because they are identified as members of the organisation. It argued that prosecutors must establish specific criminal offences against each person through legally admissible evidence.
The group consequently demanded that the government provide information about the 83 detainees allegedly held in Kuje, Keffi and Suleja, as well as other Biafran supporters whose whereabouts it said remained unknown. It also called for the release of those it considers unlawfully detained and urged the United Nations, the United States Government and the European Union to intervene over the matter.
