June 13, 2025
The Department of State Services (DSS) has accused detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu of using his radio broadcasts to incite violence and destabilize the economy of Nigeria’s South-East region.
In a statement released on Thursday, the DSS alleged that Kanu’s messages on Radio Biafra spurred unrest, including attacks on public infrastructure, security personnel, and mass compliance with illegal sit-at-home orders that crippled economic activities in the region.
“His broadcasts were inflammatory and directly led to the disruption of governance, commerce, and peace across the South-East,” the DSS stated.
The agency said that intelligence reports traced a significant spike in violent incidents to the aftermath of Kanu’s on-air directives, branding his rhetoric as “subversive and threatening to national unity.”
Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is currently facing multiple charges including terrorism, treasonable felony, and incitement. He has denied wrongdoing, insisting his actions are in pursuit of the right to self-determination for the Igbo people.
Legal proceedings against him are ongoing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, amid increasing calls from local and international actors for a political solution to the IPOB agitation.
Meanwhile, economic experts in the region have echoed concerns, estimating that the repeated lockdowns and violence have led to billions of naira in losses, with small businesses and transport systems hardest hit.
The Federal Government has maintained that peace and dialogue must be pursued within the bounds of the law.
