Author Anyi Kings
Published on the Biafra Post
March 11, 2026
“A protest that leads unarmed people to slaughter is not a strategy for freedom—it is a betrayal of the people.”
I will not tell anyone not to join any protest. However, I can only inform you of one simple fact: the leadership of IPOB has not ordered any street protest for the restoration of Biafra or for the freedom of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The reason is straightforward. The stage for street protests in pursuit of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s freedom has long passed. The leadership of IPOB is not prepared to repeat the same strategy over and over again only to obtain the same tragic results.
You may ask: What results have IPOB obtained from years of street protests in Biafra land?
The answer is painful but undeniable:
extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and mass arrests of peaceful protesters.
These incidents are well documented from 2015, 2016, 2017, and the years that followed. One of the most tragic examples occurred during the last IPOB protest in Aba, which the leadership did not authorize and which caught them unaware. That protest resulted in the killing of more than 11 Biafrans, including the Abia State Coordinator, Akpawara, who were massacred by Nigerian security forces. Their bodies were reportedly taken away.
This tragic incident occurred not long after the extraordinary rendition of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya.
These atrocities against peaceful IPOB members are not mere allegations. They are documented and submitted to several international human rights bodies, including InterSociety, Amnesty International, and the United Nations Human Rights mechanisms. In one of its reports, Amnesty International described the situation as “a chilling crackdown involving the blood of innocent IPOB members by Nigerian security forces.”
Under these circumstances, organizing street protests has become not only dangerous but legally risky.
Furthermore, with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu already sentenced to life imprisonment, the environment has become even more volatile for mass demonstrations conducted in his name.
Therefore, the refusal of IPOB leadership to order street protests in Biafra land should not be interpreted as abandonment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Rather, it is a strategic decision aimed at protecting the lives of Biafrans while alternative diplomatic and legal channels continue to be explored for his release.
Those currently calling for street protests appear to have a different agenda—one that may not necessarily align with the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
If street protests alone could secure his freedom, the many years of demonstrations by IPOB both in Biafra land and across the diaspora would have already achieved that objective.
Even the One Million Man March organized by Omoyele Sowore in Abuja last year, which occurred just days before Justice Omotosho sentenced Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment, did not alter the outcome.
So the question arises: why are some people suddenly organizing protests now?
The answer may be simple: a test of popularity.
Some organizers may be attempting to measure their influence among Biafrans, regardless of the potential dangers such protests pose to ordinary people. They rely heavily on emotional appeals—once Biafrans hear that a protest is “for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu” or “for Biafra,” many may feel morally compelled to participate without fully considering the consequences.
Exploiting such emotional loyalty for personal relevance or political gain is not only deceptive; it is deeply selfish and irresponsible.
As it stands today, any freedom for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu that does not involve a discussion of Biafra and a referendum risks becoming a compromised freedom—a development that could betray the very cause for which he has sacrificed so much.
For this reason, Biafrans must be cautious and not allow themselves to be lured into street protests that may ultimately be used as leverage to negotiate a personal deal for Kanu’s release without addressing the broader question of Biafra.
Until the Directorate of State of IPOB successfully advances its diplomatic efforts—efforts aimed at bringing the international community to the table as mediators between the Nigerian government and IPOB leadership—there should be careful consideration of any movement or initiative that claims to represent the struggle.
Such dialogue must ultimately focus on two key objectives:
a referendum for Biafra and the freedom of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Any attempt to bypass this process risks undermining both the struggle and the sacrifices that many Biafrans have already made.
Biafrans must remain vigilant and discerning.
The future of the struggle should not be determined by emotional manipulation, personal ambitions, or financial interests.
It must be guided by strategy, responsibility, and accountability.
Anyi Kings March 11, 2026
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