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53-658: Whereas other separatist militias have refrained from bringing the war outside the Anglophone regions, the ADF has taken a different stance. Since April 2021, the ADF has been allied with the Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network . Furthermore, then-AGovC leader Ayaba Cho Lucas declared in 2021 that if Cameroonians rise up against the government of Paul Biya ,

106-533: A low-level guerilla conflict in southeastern Nigeria against the Nigerian government . The group was founded in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu who has been the leader and Uche Mefor , who served as the deputy leader. Kanu is known as a British political activist known for his advocacy of the contemporary Biafran independence movement. It was declared a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government in 2017 under

159-800: A civil war known as " Anglophone Crisis " between the Cameroonian government and Ambazonian separatists. Daniel became a member of one rebel political faction, the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC), and was appointed deputy commander and spokesman of the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF), an alliance of separatist militias. Over the course of the civil war, Daniel has been mainly based in exile in Hong Kong . A Cameroonian loyalist and lawyer, Christopher Nsalai, made repeated though unsuccessful attempts to force

212-646: A date set by the government. The editor of pro-Biafran media outlet 'Voice of Biafra' Nnabuike Nnadede stated that the Igbo people suffer from a lack of resources and investment from the Nigerian government. The main reason for their protests are because they want the opportunity to vote for independence. On 18 September 2017, the Federal High Court in Abuja declared IPOB a terrorist organization. The IPOB have fought against this proscription and sought to reverse

265-547: A new militant group called the Ambazonia Dark Forces, and openly called on his fighters to abduct journalists for ransom. In July 2023, Cho Lucas declared that henceforth, whenever Cameroonian forces killed Anglophone civilians, the ADF would kill Francophone civilians. The AGovC leader added that "when Cameroon begins to respect the Geneva Convention , we will do the same". On January 21, 2024, it

318-545: A proper trial. The leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has failed to appear in court since April 25, 2017, to answer to the charges against him by the federal government. He had previously been detained without trial for over a year and was arraigned on November 8, 2016, for charges of criminal conspiracy, membership of an illegal organization and intimidation. He was granted bail after several public agitations including World Igbo Summit Group in April 2017 because of health concerns that

371-725: A protest in Onitsha, Anambra state. Since that date, there have been thousands of protesters who have been reportedly killed by policemen and militia paid by the government in Aba, Onitsha, Enugu and Umuhahia. The rising protests are attributed to the claimed political disenfranchisement among the Igbo people and the trauma that continues as an effect of the Nigerian civil war. There are weekly lockdowns in many towns in South East, Nigeria and many pro-Biafra citizens and others have been unable to leave their homes. The lockdown became prominent since

424-634: A virtual press conference. There have been many other pro-Biafran groups that have come into existence. The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra ( MASSOB ) began gaining attention in the early 2000s, along with the Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM) which rose to the spotlight in 2012. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) emerged in 2012 as well after these other groups. IPOB emerged to continue

477-615: Is because President Muhammdu Buhari sent the military to execute him in his home. The military denies the occurrence of this raid, despite an obvious video footage of the gruesome attack. There has been speculation that Kanu had fled to Israel for safety, after a Facebook livestream video depicted an individual resembling Kanu praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The Israeli foreign ministry stated that Israel cannot confirm this allegation as they do not have any evidence of Kanu in

530-700: The Niger Delta who have been continually attacking pipelines. Therefore, IPOB figures contend that it is within the United States' economic interest to support the Biafran secessionist movement due to agitations in the region. However, as of yet Trump has made no public statement in support of Biafran self-determination. The pro-Biafran protesters are calling for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu and other Biafran activists that have been jailed. Most importantly they want an independence referendum to have

583-587: The government of Hong Kong to extradite Daniel to Cameroon. Daniel seemingly maintains a Facebook page and a YouTube channel, using them to spread separatist announcements and propaganda. However, journalist Zane Irwin pointed out that the tone between Daniel's Facebook and YouTube presence differed considerably, speculating that the two were possibly not run by the same person. Despite living in exile, Daniel has seemingly been involved in directing separatist military operations. He has occasionally been described as an Ambazonian "general". In 2020, elements of

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636-556: The "Buffaloes of Bali", but also stated that he considered the kidnapping of Senator Regina Mundi by the ADF as a legitimate operation. In April 2023, Daniel resigned from AGovC and, by extension, the ADF, in order to pursue independent activism. He publicly declared that disagreements with the rest of the AGovC and ADF leadership had made it "impossible for me to continue serving our Liberation Movement in those capacities", though clarified that he continued to support and involve himself in

689-603: The 2016 election of President Donald Trump , and Britain's vote to exit the European Union as proof of international support for "self-determination." According to many sources, Donald Trump's victory provides hope for the IPOB group in their ability to secede from Nigeria. Trump's political interests are in line with supporting Biafra, because of oil pursuits. U.S. oil company outputs in Nigeria have been cut by militants in

742-403: The ADF called on locals to rise up against the Cameroonian army. In March 2021, "General Efang" of the ADF publicly apologized to the population for war crimes committed by some separatist elements. He claimed that separatist fighters abusing civilians were often under the influence of drugs, and lamented that this had led to the creation of pro-government local paramilitaries. On April 9, 2021,

795-538: The ADF will support them militarily. The ADF has been fighting a guerrilla war against the Cameroonian Armed Forces in the Anglophone part of the country since September 2017. In June 2018, it claimed to have 1,500 soldiers under its command, spread across 20 bases across Southern Cameroons. Numerically and materially the inferior of their adversary, they rely on hit-and-run attacks , ambushes and raids , taking advantage of their familiarity with

848-413: The AGovC formally entered into an alliance with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). According to ADF deputy defense chief Capo Daniel , this would entail joint military operations, joint training bases, and an effort to seize the mutual border and ensure a free flow of weapons. By April 2022 this had been partly achieved, as Ambazonian forces and

901-625: The Ambazonian separatists allowed the reopening of local schools in the Anglophone regions. These had previously been targeted by the rebels as Francophone institutes of the Cameroonian state. Daniel was among those rebels who expressed opposition to the school reopenings. He stated that his forces would only permit "community schools that have been approved by the Ambazonia Governing Council education board. We shall not tolerate any alien institution any longer. Our forces on

954-585: The ESN had consolidated their control over much of the common border and brought 90 percent of cross-border trade to a halt. The alliance was denounced by the Interim Government of Ambazonia as well as by other Biafran separatist groups. In April 2023, Capo Daniel resigned from AGovC and, by extension, the ADF, in order to pursue independent activism. Ayaba Cho Lucas acknowledged his resignation and thanked him for his years of work. By May, Daniel had founded

1007-463: The ESN to cease fire and withdraw from Orlu, ending the crisis. Shortly after the Orlu Crisis, IPOB gave all the governors of southeast Nigeria 14 days to ban open grazing, threatening to deploy the ESN to enforce a ban if the authorities did not do so. On April 9, 2021, IPOB formally allied itself with the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) and the Ambazonia Defence Forces . The alliance

1060-470: The Indigenous People of Biafra is Nnamdi Kanu who is a dual British and Nigerian citizen. He created IPOB after he initially gained fame from his broadcasts on Radio Biafra , which was established in 2009. This was a radio station from London that broadcast messages that called for "freedom of Biafrans" and criticised corruption in the government of Nigeria. Radio Biafra catalyzed Kanu's rise to

1113-484: The Movement due to being imprisoned. By late 2022, other IPOB leaders like Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful were openly denouncing Ekpa. Indigenous People of Biafra has "brought both local and international attention to the plight of Ndigbo in Nigeria". Indigenous People of Biafra and Ambazonia Governing Council had established an alliance in early April 2021 when Nnamdi Kanu and Ayaba Cho Lucas met in

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1166-776: The Nigerian Terrorism Act but the declaration was nullified by a High Court sitting in Enugu in 2023. As of May 2022, the United Kingdom started denying asylum to members of IPOB who allegedly engaged in human rights abuses, though the UK government clarified that IPOB had not been designated as a terrorist organisation. IPOB has criticized the Nigerian federal government for poor investment, political alienation, inequitable resource distribution, ethnic marginalization, and heavy military presence, extrajudicial killings in

1219-482: The South-Eastern, South-Central and parts of North-Central regions of the country. The organization rose to prominence in the mid-2010s and is now the largest Biafran independence organization by membership. In recent years, it has gained significant media attention for becoming a frequent target of political crackdowns by the Nigerian government . It also has numerous sites and communication channels serving as

1272-442: The United States. Capo Daniel Ngong Emmanuel , better known by his pseudonym Capo Daniel , is an Ambazonian separatist and political activist who served as member of the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) and deputy commander of the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) until 2023. Following his resignation from the AGovC and ADF, fighters loyal to him formed the Ambazonia Dark Forces. In 2024, he called for an end to

1325-567: The armed struggle. Daniel has generally operated from exile in Hong Kong . Cameroon's Anglophone regions have long been the subject to a separatist movement calling for the establishment of a state termed " Ambazonia ". In the 2016–17 Cameroonian protests , calls for separatism reached a new height, fuelled by militant online activists. Ngong Emmanuel adopted the pseudonym "Capo Daniel" and became one of these early militant online activists, with notable others being Mark Bareta Barra , and Tapang Ivo . In September 2017, tensions escalated into

1378-422: The country. Now, the court has revoked the bail of Kanu and the trial judge Binta Nyako has ordered the immediate arrest of Kanu and stated that his treasonable felony will proceed despite his absence. On June 29, 2021, the Nigerian government announced that Nnamdi Kanu had been rearrested. He was subsequently charged to court again and remanded in the custody of the department of state services. In August 2020,

1431-658: The court's decision in 2018. In 2023, a High Court sitting in Enugu State nullified IPOB's proscription and awarded 8 billion Naira damages, thereby declaring the proscription unconstitutional. According to sources, the Nigerian State has utilized violent and excessive police force in order to silence pro-Biafran movements. This police violence has been ongoing from 2014, first targeting MASSOB and IPOB after its formation. In 2008, MASSOB claimed that 2,020 of their members had been massacred and extrajudicially killed by

1484-490: The department of state services (DSS) were accused by IPOB of killing 21 of his members and arresting 47 members across different locations. The DSS claims two of its officers were killed by IPOB members. Both sides accused each other of firing the first shot and that the attack was unprovoked. Casualties cannot be independently verified. Following the incident, IPOB vowed to retaliate and called on its members to start practicing self-defense. On December 12, 2020, Kanu announced

1537-506: The ensuing events. Security forces re-invaded the area three days later, clashing with the ESN and killing at least five people before being repulsed by the ESN. Four Nigerian soldiers were killed in the fighting. The Nigerian Army withdrew, and in the following days, Nigerian Air Force planes and helicopters deployed to search for ESN operatives in and around Orlu. Before the Nigerian Army could launch another attack, Kanu ordered

1590-547: The extradition of Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya and a Monday sit-at-home order was imposed by IPOB on the entire South East geopolitical zone as a protest. Also, IPOB declared a sit-at-home order for any day Mr. Kanu appears in court. However, on July 21, 2023, Nnamdi Kalu through his lawyer and IPOB's media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, cancelled the Monday IPOB sit-at-home order hitherto imposed on South East States. IPOB supporters have cited historical events such as

1643-479: The formation of another faction named BZM. BZM leader Benjamin Igwe Onwuka and many members of the group were arrested for treason by the Nigerian government at a rally that took place on 5 November 2012 in the region of Enugu. BZM's activities were scaled down because of arrests and trials of many lead members of the organization. Both of these pro-Biafran groups set up the rise of IPOB which continues championing

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1696-458: The formation of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a regional security force, which he said it purpose is to flush out bandits and illegal forest occupants that always clash with farmers in Biafra land. The Nigerian Army deployed to locate ESN camps two weeks later. On January 22, Nigerian soldiers invaded Orlu to search for ESN operatives. Eight buildings were burnt and one person was killed in

1749-579: The ground shall enforce this order". In 2021, forces associated with Daniel fought in Operation Bui Clean . In 2022, Human Rights Watch attempted to contact several Ambazonian leaders to complain about crimes against civilians committed by rebel forces. Only Daniel responded to HRW; he apologized for an attack on the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services by the ADF and an allied militia,

1802-510: The guerrillas. The ADF is loyal to the AGovC, which is not part of the Interim Government of Ambazonia . In the early phase of the war, this led to a complicated relationship between the ADF and the Interim Government, which initially did not endorse an armed struggle. On November 9, 2017, the Interim Government condemned ADF attacks that killed three gendarmes. The Interim Government's nonviolent stance changed in early 2018, opening

1855-429: The idea of an independent state of Biafra . The result of tensions between Biafra and the federal government resulted in the Nigerian civil war that went on for three years. There were an estimated one to 3.5 million deaths that were heavily civilian casualties caused by starvation and death on the side of Biafra. In 1970, the Biafran forces surrendered through the armistice brokered by the defunct OAU. The leader of

1908-631: The interim leader of AGovC, and effectively replaced Ayaba as the C.I.C of the ADF. He vowed to continue the armed struggle. Indigenous People of Biafra The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a separatist group in Nigeria that aims to restore the defunct Republic of Biafra , a country which seceded from Nigeria in 1967 prior to the Nigerian Civil War and was subsequently dissolved following its defeat in 1970. Since 2021, IPOB and other Biafran separatist groups have been fighting

1961-506: The judge said needed better medical attention that couldn't be provided by the prison. However, he was barred from granting interviews, meeting in groups larger than ten individuals, organizing and attending rallies or social functions. Kanu disappeared after September 2017 after a premeditated attack on his home village, Umuahia by the combined forces of the Airforce and Army. Through a Radio Biafra broadcast he explains that his disappearance

2014-558: The month, the Southern Cameroon Restoration Forces, led by General Chacha, abducted 40 ADF fighters, six of whom were executed. When SOCADEF declared a 14-day ceasefire at the end of March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic , the AGovC said that the ADF would do the same if Cameroonian troops were confined to their bases for the duration of the ceasefire. As a response to Operation Bamenda Clean ,

2067-651: The most notable attacks were the May 2022 Anambra State killings . IPOB has sought support from the right-wing Trumpist movement in the United States , and IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu attended a Donald Trump rally in Iowa as a special guest, at the invitation of the Republican Party of Iowa . Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern , which Nigerian journalist Garba Shehu alleges

2120-409: The movement that had been championed by MASSOB. MASSOB was formed in 1999 by its national leader Ralph Uwazuruike . However, the organization was severely weakened due to alleged state repression and disagreement within the group about leadership. MASSOB accused Uwazuruike of associating himself with "mainstream Nigerian politics" instead of furthering the cause of Biafra. These conflicts contributed to

2173-486: The only trusted social apparatus educating and inculcating first hand information and news to its members. Biafra had previously existed as an Independent multi-ethnic Republic consisting of the Igbo, peoples to name a few and was declared by Lieutenant Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu for three years, 1967 through 1970. The federal government fought hard to preserve the Federal Republic of Nigeria and did not like

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2226-658: The possibility of cooperation between it and the ADF. The ADF has declined offers to be integrated into the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council , an umbrella organization established by the Interim Government to unite all separatist militias under one banner. Following the death of General Ivo Mbah in December 2018, President Samuel Ikome Sako praised the deceased general and urged all separatist militias to "ignore our minor differences" and unite. In March 2019, an ADF leader announced that they would take

2279-539: The public scene, as he was previously an unknown figure. Kanu was arrested by the Nigerian security forces on 19 October 2015, on charges of "sedition, ethnic incitement and treasonable felony." On occasion of Kanu's second arrest in June 2021, he appointed Simon Ekpa as the lead broadcaster of Radio Biafra and Spokesperson for IPOB pending his release. However, Ekpa has been a controversial figure within IPOB, especially when he began to argue that Kanu could no longer lead

2332-448: The regional bureau chief of The Advocate newspaper. By June, Daniel was openly criticizing Ayaba Cho Lucas for obstructing negotiations between the Cameroonian government and the rebel forces; he subsequently declared himself "the new leader of the war for the liberation of Ambazonia". In a statement released in May 2024, Daniel called for an end of the armed struggle against Cameroon and

2385-608: The same causes. There has been recent peaceful protest in Nigeria regarding IPOB. The organization's leader and a prominent activist named Nnamdi Kanu was arrested by Nigeria's Department of State Services on 19 October 2015. In response to his arrest there has been a group of pro-Biafran protesters who have been leading marches in eastern parts of Nigeria to push for his release. His arrest has pushed IPOB supporters into gaining further traction, as their mobilization grew. There have been many protesters and police clashes; on 2 December 2015, nine protesters and two policemen were killed at

2438-481: The separatist rebellion. AGovC leader Ayaba Cho Lucas acknowledged his resignation and thanked him for his years of work. By May, Daniel had become President of the "Ambazonia People's Rights Advocacy Group" and founded a new militant group called the Ambazonia Dark Forces. He openly called on his fighters to abduct journalists for ransom. He explained this policy as a reaction against allegedly hostile journalism after separatists had "accidentally" killed Anye Nde Nsoh,

2491-707: The state. Amnesty International released a report detailing that countless IPOB protesters were killed between the 29th through 30 May 2016 during a governmental operation wanting to prevent IPOB members marching from Nkpor motor park to a rally. The Nigerian army claims that they were acting in self-defense, and that the death count lies at five instead of fifty. These killings have not been investigated by Nigeria, despite urgings from Amnesty International. Human rights organizations have been keeping records of extrajudicial killings in Biafra. They claim that from August 2015 through February 2016, 170 unarmed civilians were killed and that 400 were arrested, charged or detained without

2544-485: The terrain. The ADF aims to raise the cost of Cameroon's military presence in the region higher than the profits the country gets from there. Cameroonian authorities have acknowledged that they have little control outside the cities in Southern Cameroons; according to a foreign journalist who spent time with the ADF, this owes partly to the poor infrastructure in the region, making it hard for the army to pursue

2597-483: The war into the French-speaking parts of Cameroon. A week later, separatists - possibly the ADF - raided Penda Mboko, Littoral Region , and injured three gendarmes. This was in defiance of the policy of the Interim Government, which has stressed that the war should take place solely within the borders of Southern Cameroons. In late-August 2019, the ADF announced that a half-year lockdown was being planned. This

2650-469: Was a result of IPOB funding right-wing American lobbyists to influence U.S. foreign policy towards Nigeria. Bruce Fein , a conservative American lawyer, has frequently spoken out in support of IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu. After defeating Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden reversed Donald Trump's decision to designate Nigeria as a country violating religious freedom, resulting in criticism from Christian and right-wing groups and lawmakers in

2703-528: Was confirmed that Cameroonian forces had captured top ADF commander "General Efang", who had been wounded in action two weeks prior. This marked the second time that the ADF lost its top ground zero commander. On September 24, 2024, Cho Lucas was arrested in Norway on "charges based on his various expressions on social media." Days later, AGovC vice president Julius Nyih (based in the Republic of Ireland ) became

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2756-575: Was denounced by the Interim Government of Ambazonia as well as by other Biafran separatist groups. According to a BBC News Pidgin report, the Nigerian Army raided the IPOB headquarters seizing weapons in a joint operation with State Services and IRT operatives (Nigerian Army Police Intelligence Response Team). Government officials described it as a success. In course of the insurgency, IPOB militants have been accused of committing war crimes such as murdering civilians, including children. One of

2809-586: Was in response to the life sentences that had just been handed to Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and nine other detained separatist leaders by the Yaoundé Military Tribunal. After at least five instances in January 2020 where angry villagers attacked separatist camps, the ADF openly condemned war crimes committed by fellow separatists. ADF fighters were given orders to arrest anyone caught terrorizing civilians, including fellow separatists. Later in

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