IPOB: Ejimakor Demands Unconditional Release of Detained Igbo Youths from Tinubu

Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to imprisoned IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, has called on President Bola Tinubu to order the unconditional release of thousands of Igbo youths allegedly detained across Nigeria without trial.

In a post on X on Saturday, Ejimakor argued that holding people on the mere suspicion of belonging to IPOB, without formal charges, undermines justice and the rule of law.

A controversial claim

Ejimakor went further than calling for releases. “This truth is self-evident: Every native of former Eastern Nigeria/Biafra (or NDIGBO) is ethnically a bona fide member of the Indigenous People of Biafra,” he wrote. “So, naming IPOB a terrorist sponsor is akin to naming Arewa or Oduduwa terrorist sponsors. It’s a misnomer that cannot stand.”

It’s a striking argument — essentially conflating ethnic identity with organisational membership — and it adds a contentious dimension to an already heated debate.

The legal backdrop

Ejimakor recently accused the Tinubu administration of contempt of court for including IPOB on a published list of terrorist groups and sponsors. He insists the proscription case is still pending before the Supreme Court.

“The recent publication by the Federal Government naming IPOB amongst terrorist sponsors is contempt of Court, because the case is still pending before the Supreme Court, and therefore subjudice,” he stated. “I know this for a fact, because I personally signed and filed the appeal.”

A long-running legal fight

The Nigerian government first proscribed IPOB as a terrorist organisation in September 2017 under the Buhari administration. But that designation has been contested at every turn. In October 2023, an Enugu State High Court declared the proscription illegal and unconstitutional, though the Federal Government has not withdrawn it.

In November 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Kanu on seven counts of terrorism and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was subsequently transferred to Sokoto Maximum Prison.

Ejimakor’s remarks add to mounting pressure from pro-Biafra groups who accuse the government of targeting an entire ethnic group through collective labelling and bypassing due process.

Sources: Sahara Reporters, NewsTmes, Daily Post