₦9.5 Billion Debt and Counting — FG Defeated in Court after Court Refuses to Appeal

• IPOB has defended its lead counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, saying he secured multiple legal victories for Nnamdi Kanu and the group in Nigerian and international courts.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a lengthy statement defending its lead counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, against what it described as a sustained campaign of misinformation and state-sponsored propaganda aimed at discrediting both the lawyer and the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

In the statement signed by IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful on behalf of what it described as the “4th Administration of the Directorate of State,” the group maintained that Ejimakor has recorded several landmark legal victories in both Nigerian and international courts in matters relating to Kanu and IPOB.

According to the separatist group, Nigerian courts have delivered judgments in favour of Kanu on issues including the 2017 military operation at his ancestral home, his extraordinary rendition from Kenya, and the proscription of IPOB.

IPOB claimed that the Nigerian government, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army, and the South-East Governors’ Forum collectively owe Kanu ₦9.5 billion in court-awarded damages, adding that the judgments remain valid and have not been overturned.

The group highlighted three major domestic court decisions, including a January 2022 judgment by the Abia State High Court concerning the 2017 military invasion of Kanu’s residence, an October 2022 ruling by the Federal High Court in Umuahia on Kanu’s extraordinary rendition, and an October 2023 judgment by the Enugu State High Court, which declared the proscription of IPOB unconstitutional.

IPOB further cited decisions and findings by international bodies, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and various United Nations Special Rapporteurs, which it said criticised Nigeria’s handling of Kanu’s case and IPOB’s activities.

The statement also referenced a June 2025 ruling by a Kenyan High Court, which IPOB said declared Kanu’s arrest and transfer from Kenya to Nigeria unlawful.

The organisation argued that Ejimakor’s legal efforts had prevented foreign governments from designating IPOB as a terrorist organisation and described him as the most successful lawyer to have represented Kanu and the group.

IPOB dismissed criticisms directed at Ejimakor as politically motivated and insisted that the facts surrounding the various court rulings remain on public record.

The statement was signed by Emma Powerful, spokesperson for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).