The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the video purported from its detained leader leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, threatening to “wipe out” the lineage of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was an artificial intelligence (AI).
IPOB in a statement its spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, accused the Nigerian government and Britain of propaganda and blackmail against Kanu.
“Only a regime drowning in shame would churn out such childish forgeries to deceive a semi-literate audience,” Powerful stated.
He said the alleged AI manipulation was a follow-up to another “fabricated video” circulated last week, which purportedly depicted Kanu declaring himself “a god who decides who lives or dies.”
“When propaganda becomes this desperate, it can only mean one thing. The enemies of Biafra have lost the argument, lost the case, and lost the moral ground. The only weapon left to them is insult to public intelligence,” the statement read.
IPOB maintained that Kanu has always shown “respect to elder statesmen such as Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Professor Yemi Osinbajo.”
The group added that there has never been any instance where Kanu disrespected the former President.
The group alleged that the timing of the “AI fabrication” was linked to concerns within government circles that former President Obasanjo might soon advocate for Kanu’s release.
“Their solution is to rush out a poorly-edited video to poison the air before the truth overwhelms their narrative,” IPOB claimed.
IPOB challenged the Nigerian government to produce the valid law and subsisting legal charge under which Kanu is being tried.
“If they can produce those two things, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will enter his defence immediately. Instead of answering this basic constitutional demand, they are investing in AI deepfakes and media manipulation,” Powerful stated.IPOB History Book
IPOB further said that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, might be “resisting pressure to perpetuate judicial rascality,” adding that the reliance on “fabricated evidence” shows the government’s legal case is weak.
IPOB reiterated that insecurity in the South East began only after Kanu’s extraordinary rendition and unlawful detention, arguing that he could not be responsible for violence while held in solitary confinement.
“Nigerian security agencies created the chaos and now blame the victim to cover their tracks. It is a criminal logic that fools nobody,” the group said.
The pro-Biafra group reaffirmed its long-standing demands, insisting that propaganda would not distract it from its core objectives.
It demanded, “The unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, an end to the persecution of IPOB members, respect for the right to self-determination, and a peaceful referendum for the Biafran people.”
IPOB warned those allegedly behind the video to desist from “AI distortion and media intimidation,” insisting that Nigeria must “stop disgracing itself with forged videos and answer the simple question before the court, where is the law?”
