The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Tuesday staged what it described as “Trump Solidarity Rallies” across several states in Nigeria’s South-East, as supporters renewed calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the group’s detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a press release issued by its Media and Publicity Directorate, IPOB said the rallies and peaceful marches were held simultaneously in Abia, Anambra and Ebonyi states, drawing participation from a broad cross-section of the population, including youths, women and elders. According to the organisation, the demonstrations were organised both as an expression of solidarity and as a remembrance of southeasterners it said were killed nine years ago during protests that coincided with the first inauguration of former United States President Donald Trump.
The group stated that the rallies were deliberately scheduled to mark the anniversary of those events, which it described as a tragic moment in the history of the pro-Biafra movement. “Youths, women, and elders came out in large numbers to peacefully demonstrate in solidarity and in remembrance of our people who were brutally killed exactly nine years ago during the first inauguration of President Donald Trump,” the statement read.
IPOB alleged that the deaths occurred when Nigerian soldiers opened fire on unarmed demonstrators who had taken to the streets to protest and express political grievances. According to the group, the incident formed part of a broader pattern of state repression against pro-Biafra activists at the time. “Nigerian soldiers, acting under the directives of the then ruling APC-led government, opened fire on unarmed Biafran demonstrators,” the organisation claimed, reiterating a long-standing allegation it has consistently raised in its communications.
Despite what it described as sustained insecurity and repression in the South-East, IPOB said the turnout at the rallies demonstrated that many in the region remained resolute and undeterred. The group argued that fear and intimidation had failed to silence its supporters, whom it portrayed as determined to continue pressing their demands. “Despite the ongoing and relentless pogrom in Biafraland, and the atmosphere of intimidation, persecution and insecurity deliberately imposed on the South-East, Biafrans continue to defy fear and oppression,” the statement said. “A people determined to be free cannot be permanently subdued.”
Witnesses at the rallies reported that participants carried placards, banners and photographs of Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader who has been in detention since his re-arrest and extradition to Nigeria in 2021. Chants and slogans at the protests reportedly focused on his release, with demonstrators insisting that his continued detention remains at the heart of the political and security tensions in the region.
According to IPOB, protesters renewed their demand for Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release, describing it as essential to restoring peace and stability in the South-East. “Participants renewed their demand for his immediate and unconditional release, insisting that his continued detention remains a major catalyst for tension and instability,” the organisation stated. IPOB has repeatedly argued that Kanu’s detention has deepened mistrust between the federal government and many communities in the region.
Beyond the call for Kanu’s release, the group said the rallying crowd also raised broader concerns about insecurity and alleged human rights violations in the South-East. According to the statement, demonstrators called for an independent inquiry into past killings and the wider security challenges confronting the region. “The rallying crowd called for an independent inquiry into the Port Harcourt killings and the wider, worsening insecurity ravaging the South-East,” IPOB said, adding that “truth, accountability and justice are indispensable to peace.”
IPOB maintained that the rallies were peaceful and conducted within the law, countering frequent accusations by authorities that the group engages in violent or unlawful activities. The organisation stressed that none of the marches involved violence or destruction of property, and that participants conducted themselves in an orderly manner throughout the demonstrations.
“We reiterate that all our activities remain peaceful and lawful,” the group said. “We urge the security agencies to respect the fundamental rights of citizens to peaceful assembly.” The statement appealed to security personnel deployed in the region to exercise restraint and adhere to constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression and assembly.
The organisation also used the occasion to call on the international community, including foreign governments and global human rights bodies, to pay closer attention to developments in the South-East. According to IPOB, the region is experiencing a deteriorating human rights situation that requires urgent international scrutiny. “We call on the international community to take urgent interest in the deteriorating human rights situation in the South-East of Nigeria,” the statement added.
The rallies come amid ongoing tensions between IPOB and the Nigerian government, with authorities repeatedly proscribing the group and blaming it for incidents of violence and unrest in the region. IPOB, however, has consistently denied involvement in criminal activities, insisting that it is a non-violent movement seeking self-determination through peaceful means.
Security conditions in the South-East have remained fragile in recent years, with frequent reports of attacks on security formations, sit-at-home orders disrupting economic activities, and heightened military and police presence across major towns. While the federal government attributes much of the unrest to separatist agitation and criminal elements, IPOB argues that the situation has been exacerbated by heavy-handed security responses and unresolved political grievances.
As of the time of filing this report, there were no official statements from state governments or security agencies in Abia, Anambra or Ebonyi states regarding Tuesday’s rallies. It was also unclear whether any arrests were made or if security agencies monitored the protests.
For IPOB supporters, however, the rallies were presented as both a memorial and a message. The group said they were intended to honour those it claims were killed during past protests, while also reaffirming its demand for justice, accountability and political resolution. Whether the demonstrations will have any immediate impact on policy or ongoing legal proceedings remains uncertain, but they underscore the persistence of separatist sentiment and the continuing controversy surrounding the detention of Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria’s South-East.
