IPOB accuses AP of coordinated disinformation, reiterates Simon Ekpa not member

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly criticised the Associated Press (AP) over what it described as a deliberate campaign of disinformation designed to tarnish the image of the group and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. IPOB accused AP of falsely linking it to the recent conviction of Simon Ekpa in Finland, insisting that Ekpa has never been a member of the movement.

In a press statement signed by its spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB said the AP report was part of a wider coordinated global effort “spearheaded by the United Kingdom in aid of Nigeria” to demonise the movement, launder the image of the Nigerian government, and undermine Kanu’s ongoing trial in Abuja.

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“The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been drawn to yet another vile and malicious publication—this time from the Associated Press (AP)—deliberately seeking to manipulate global perception by falsely linking IPOB and our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to the recent conviction of Simon Ekpa in Finland,” the statement read.

Powerful was emphatic that Ekpa, who was convicted by a Finnish court last month, has no connection to IPOB.

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“Simon Ekpa is not, and has never been, a member or leader of IPOB. This fact is not speculative and should sink into the skull of these merchants of falsehood—it is on court record. IPOB, through due legal process, has repeatedly disowned Simon Ekpa in Nigerian courts and in foreign jurisdictions,” he said.

He further alleged that attempts to link IPOB to Ekpa were a calculated move to sway public opinion and potentially influence the outcome of Kanu’s case, scheduled to continue before Justice James Omotosho on October 10.

“Any attempt to force a link between IPOB and his personal actions in order to influence Hon. Justice James Omotosho, come 10th of October, is wicked, dishonest, and mischievous,” he added.

The group reiterated that it is a lawful and globally recognised self-determination movement with membership and structures across the world. According to the statement, IPOB is legally registered in more than 60 countries and has presence in over 100 territories, operating “openly and transparently.”

“IPOB is a lawful, global self-determination movement,” the group declared. “No other nation on earth regards IPOB as a terrorist organisation except confused and frankly demented Janjaweed irredentists and their desperate Southern power-hungry sidekicks. Only Nigeria, out of the entire comity of nations, persists in its futile attempt to stigmatise Biafra’s legitimate self-determination struggle—despite Nigerian laws (African Charter) recognising the rights of Indigenous peoples (Biafra) to agitate for self-determination.”

While acknowledging Ekpa’s conviction in Finland, IPOB insisted the matter was personal to him and his splinter group.

“The conviction of Simon Ekpa is personal to him and does not, in any way, implicate IPOB because he formed his own organisation called Autopilot Government In Exile,” Powerful explained. “Yet, desperate media outlets like AP deliberately twist facts to suit their sponsors’ narrative. The dishonesty is transparent to anyone who bothers to check official records.”

The group also extended its criticism to global media and technology platforms, accusing them of being complicit in Nigeria’s propaganda against IPOB by relying on compromised local sources.

“If international media and platforms continue to employ or rely on Nigerians—who by nature of Nigeria’s broken system are corrupt and amenable to bribes—to file reports about IPOB, then the world should expect fraudulent interpretations of the truth,” Powerful said. “These compromised voices are not reporting—they are laundering Nigeria’s lies for quick cash.”

He accused Western media of double standards, alleging that they ignored negative rulings against Nigerian political parties while magnifying issues involving IPOB.

“A Canadian court has already ruled that Nigeria’s ruling and opposition parties (APC and PDP) are terror organisations. Yet the Associated Press and their collaborators did not trumpet that ruling globally. But when it comes to IPOB—clean, peaceful, and law-abiding—they spare no effort in attempting to smear our name by association,” Powerful claimed.

The statement linked the timing of the AP report to what IPOB described as a broader disinformation campaign aimed at shaping perceptions ahead of Kanu’s court case.

“Just as Wikipedia was manipulated in June 2021 to pave the way for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s abduction in Kenya, we are again witnessing a fresh round of media disinformation, timed to coincide with the critical stage of Kanu’s trial before Justice James Omotosho in Abuja,” the group said. “This is not journalism. It is psychological warfare.”

IPOB urged the public and the global media community to be vigilant against false narratives, vowing to continue defending its reputation with evidence.

“The ongoing effort to stain the squeaky-clean image of IPOB is not about facts—it is about silencing a lawful self-determination struggle and sustaining Nigeria’s military occupation of Biafra land,” Powerful warned.

“We call on responsible journalists and media houses worldwide to resist being used as instruments of imperial disinformation. IPOB will continue to expose these merchants of lies and defend our movement with truth and evidence,” he concluded.

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