Owerri, Nigeria — July 25, 2025

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a stern warning to the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mr. Danjuma Aboki, demanding a full retraction of what it describes as a “malicious and baseless” claim linking the group to recent killings in Mbano, Imo State.

In a press statement issued on Thursday by IPOB's spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group described the police chief’s allegations as defamatory and inciteful, warning that it will initiate legal action if the statement is not withdrawn within seven days.

“We are giving Mr. Danjuma Aboki, Commissioner of Police, Imo State, seven days to publicly withdraw and apologise for falsely linking IPOB to violence in Mbano,” the statement reads. “If he fails to comply, IPOB will take legal action against him for criminal defamation and reputational damage.”

The group firmly denied any involvement in the incident and accused the police of attempting to scapegoat IPOB as part of what it called a wider campaign of misinformation and political propaganda.

“The statement by Mr. Aboki represents a calculated attempt to criminalise IPOB and mislead the public,” IPOB said. “It is not only false, but a gross violation of the presumption of innocence guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution.”

Comrade Powerful also criticised the security agencies for allegedly using propaganda to cover up what he termed the failure of security operations in the region.

“The blood of our people must not be used to sanitise failed security operations and political incompetence,” he added.

The Imo State Police Command is yet to respond officially to the ultimatum.

IPOB, a movement advocating for the self-determination of the southeastern region of Nigeria, has consistently maintained that it is a non-violent group. However, Nigerian authorities have designated it as a proscribed organisation since 2017, a move IPOB continues to challenge.

As the tension grows, observers are watching closely to see whether the Imo police commissioner will issue a retraction or prepare to defend the accusation in court.

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