The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned what it described as a coordinated media campaign by the BBC and Google, alleging that both platforms are deliberately spreading false information against its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB rejected claims linking Kanu and the group to the alleged forged death certificate of Ahmed Gulak, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan who was assassinated in Owerri, Imo State, in 2021.
The pro-Biafra group insisted that the attempt to associate Kanu with Gulak’s death was malicious and aimed at damaging the image of IPOB before Nigerians and the international community.
“It is on record that Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State publicly stated that IPOB had no involvement in Gulak’s death, describing it as politically motivated. Yet, BBC and Google continue to ignore this fact and instead promote lies that serve the interest of the Nigerian state,” the statement read in part.
IPOB further alleged that such reports were not only defamatory but also posed a danger to Kanu’s life as he remains in detention. The group accused the media organizations of manipulating public opinion ahead of Kanu’s court proceedings.
The separatist movement demanded an immediate end to what it called “defamatory and dangerous propaganda,” warning that the international community must hold BBC and Google accountable should such narratives contribute to further human rights abuses against Biafrans.
IPOB reiterated that it is a peaceful self-determination group recognised globally, stressing that its leader “must not be sacrificed on the altar of propaganda and political conspiracy.
