- The military high command views the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of IPOB as a terrorist group as a morale booster for troops
- The ruling encourages intensified military efforts to dismantle IPOB and its affiliates, reinforcing the government’s stance on national security
The military high command has described the Court of Appeal’s decision affirming the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group as a morale booster.
It stated that the ruling would encourage frontline troops to intensify efforts in dismantling the group wherever they may be hiding.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja, in a unanimous verdict by a three-member panel led by Justice Hamma Barka, reaffirmed IPOB’s proscription and its designation as a terrorist organization.
IPOB is a separatist group advocating for an independent state of Biafra, which seeks to carve out from Nigeria’s South-East and parts of the South-South region.
Under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the federal government proscribed the group in 2017. A Federal High Court in Abuja formalized the proscription, classifying IPOB as a terrorist organization.
Despite legal challenges by IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, a State High Court in Enugu nullified the proscription in October 2023. However, the latest Appeal Court ruling upholds the group’s terrorist designation.
In an exclusive interview with Weekend Trust, the outgoing Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, welcomed the ruling, stating it is a significant boost for military operations.
“The armed forces applaud the recent Appeal Court ruling affirming IPOB’s designation as a terrorist group.
“The judgment is a welcome development that further motivates troops to accelerate actions aimed at dismantling the IPOB terror group and their Eastern Security Network (ESN) affiliates,” Buba stated.
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