The family of detained Biafra agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has issued a scathing rebuke to the Federal Government over what it described as a calculated media war aimed at smearing Kanu’s image and manipulating judicial proceedings.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday in Abuja, the family decried what they called an “orchestrated campaign of disinformation” designed to falsely associate Kanu and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with crimes and insecurity in the South-East.
“The pattern is unmistakable,” the statement read. “Each time Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s court date approaches, a barrage of fabricated headlines surfaces, seeking to link IPOB to violence and crime — all part of a well-rehearsed script to prejudice the judiciary and mislead the public.”
Signed by Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the IPOB leader, the statement cited recent headlines such as “Police nab three suspected IPOB members, recover N10.3m in Imo” and “Police raid IPOB/ESN hideout in Imo” as examples of this “coordinated media blitz.”
The family accused the government of sponsoring such reports to sway judicial opinion ahead of Kanu’s next hearing on April 29, 2025.
“This is not just defamation,” the family stated. “It is an assault on the very foundations of justice and fairness. The Nigerian government must halt this campaign of deceit and allow the court to function without interference.”
They also condemned the double standards in the national security narrative, pointing to the silence of both media and authorities on the deadly activities of armed Fulani herdsmen.
“While peaceful IPOB is vilified with headlines and arrests, the real architects of terror — those publicly acknowledged to be waging war across Nigeria — roam freely without scrutiny,” the family asserted.
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Calling for transparency and truth, the family demanded the immediate establishment of an independent investigative panel made up of representatives from the United States and the European Union to probe the real causes of insecurity in the South-East.
“This case is bigger than Mazi Nnamdi Kanu — it is about justice, rule of law, and the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic institutions,” the statement concluded. “We urge the international community and all defenders of justice to speak out against this propaganda war and ensure that truth and fairness prevail.”
