Recent court ruling on IPOB is enough motivation to crush group finally– Military vows
Recent court ruling on IPOB is enough motivation to crush group finally– Military vows
The Nigerian military has expressed strong approval of the recent Court of Appeal ruling that affirmed the designation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group, calling the decision a significant morale booster for the armed forces.
In a statement, the military high command emphasized that the ruling would galvanize frontline troops, motivating them to take swift action in locating and dismantling the separatist group wherever they are hiding.
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, delivered its unanimous verdict on Thursday. A three-member panel, headed by Justice Hamma Barka, upheld the 2017 proscription of IPOB and its classification as a terrorist organization.
IPOB, which advocates for an independent Biafra carved from the South East and parts of the South-South regions of Nigeria, has long been in conflict with the Nigerian state.
The proscription was first declared by the federal government under former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017, and a subsequent Federal High Court ruling formalized the ban and labeled IPOB a terrorist entity.
However, the group, led by Nnamdi Kanu, had contested the designation in various courts, and a State High Court in Enugu nullified the proscription in October 2023.
Major-General Edward Buba, the outgoing Director of Defence Media Operations, spoke exclusively to ‘Weekend Trust’, praising the Appeal Court’s decision.
He described the ruling as a much-needed boost for the military, reaffirming the legitimacy of the ongoing efforts to eradicate IPOB’s violent activities and those of its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
“The armed forces applaud the Appeal Court ruling, which upholds the earlier declaration of IPOB as a terrorist group.
This is a welcomed development, one that further motivates our troops to accelerate the effort to neutralize IPOB and its cohorts,” Buba said.
The military’s response to the ruling signals a continued commitment to addressing the separatist threat, with renewed confidence in the legal backing for their operations.
