The family of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has warned members of the public to beware of fraudulent social media accounts impersonating him.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his younger brother, Emmanuel Kanu, on behalf of the Okwu-Kanu family, the family said several fake accounts—particularly on Facebook and Instagram—are falsely presenting themselves as official platforms of the IPOB leader.
According to the statement, the impostor pages often use official-looking logos, claim locations such as Nairobi or Sokoto, and share misleading updates. The family stressed that none of these accounts is connected to Kanu, IPOB, or the Kanu family.
It clarified that since Kanu’s arrest and detention in June 2021, he has had no active or verified presence on any social media platform and does not operate Facebook, Instagram, or other accounts posting personal messages or location updates.
The family described the fake accounts as part of a “sustained deceptive operation,” which it believes is orchestrated by Nigerian security agencies and their collaborators. It alleged that the aim is to harvest personal data from unsuspecting followers, spread disinformation to damage the reputation of Kanu and IPOB, and identify genuine supporters for possible surveillance, harassment, or arrest.
The public was advised not to follow, like, comment on, share, or engage with any account claiming to represent Nnamdi Kanu, to unfollow suspicious pages immediately, and to report such accounts to social media platforms for impersonation or fraud. The family urged supporters to rely only on verified IPOB channels and trusted outlets, including Radio Biafra.
It further warned that anyone interacting with the fake pages does so at their own risk, noting that exposure of personal information could have serious consequences given what it described as the current climate of repression.
The family reaffirmed that Kanu remains committed to the peaceful and non-violent pursuit of self-determination for Biafrans and reiterated its call for his unconditional release.
Kanu was first arrested in October 2015 on charges of treasonable felony and later released on bail in 2017. He subsequently went into exile in the United Kingdom before being arrested again in June 2021 and returned to Nigeria from Kenya in what his supporters describe as an illegal rendition. He has remained in detention since then.
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