Abuja, Nigeria – The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly condemned what it describes as a “smokescreen campaign” by the federal government to link the recent conviction of Simon Ekpa in Finland to its movement and the ongoing trial of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement issued by IPOB’s spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group said the attempt to associate Ekpa’s six-year jail sentence in Finland with IPOB’s activities is a “brazen fraud against truth and justice.”

IPOB Distances Itself from Simon Ekpa

The group stressed that the Finnish court case had already clarified that Simon Ekpa is not a member of IPOB. According to IPOB:

  • Under oath in Finland, IPOB testified that Ekpa has never held any position in the organization or its armed wing, ESN.

  • Ekpa himself reportedly admitted in court that he was merely a “content creator”, had disowned IPOB, and even vowed to destroy it.

  • He went on to establish his own groups — the “Biafra Government in Exile,” the “Biafra Liberation Army,” and the “Biafra Defence Force” — which IPOB says it has rejected and condemned.

“Any narrative linking Ekpa’s downfall to IPOB is deliberate misinformation,” the statement read.

“Smokescreen” to Distract from Kanu’s Trial

IPOB alleged that the Nigerian government is deliberately pushing the Ekpa narrative to distract attention from Nnamdi Kanu’s case, particularly the no-case submission before Justice James Omotosho, now scheduled for ruling on October 10, 2025.

The group accused the authorities of buying time to influence the judgment, saying:

“This is not justice. It is judicial hostage-taking — a weaponization of the courts to sustain persecution.”

IPOB Appeals to International Community

The pro-Biafra group called on world leaders and international organizations to intervene:

  • European Union & Finland – to clarify that Finland’s judicial ruling exonerated IPOB of any ties to Ekpa.

  • United Kingdom & United States – to condemn what IPOB describes as another attempt to derail Kanu’s trial, just as they earlier condemned his extraordinary rendition from Kenya.

  • United Nations – to take a stand against the “weaponization of Nigeria’s judiciary” in violation of the UN Charter.

IPOB Reiterates Its Position

The statement reaffirmed that IPOB is a peaceful, lawful self-determination movement recognized under international law. It stressed that Simon Ekpa’s conviction is his personal burden and has nothing to do with IPOB.

The group warned Justice Omotosho and the Nigerian judiciary that the world is watching:

“On October 10, 2025, the only acceptable outcome is one grounded in law and fact. Any judgment influenced by this manufactured smo