Some lawyers always defending the legality of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a secessionist organisation that has Eastern Security Network, ESN as an affiliate have kept mum or refused to utter a word since Appeal Court sitting in Abuja affirmed the decision of the lower Federal High Court in 2017 that declared IPOB as a terrorist organisation.

A check on some of the legal counsel of IPOB as at 7pm on Thursday as at the time of filing in this report, none has issued a statement over the Appeal Court ruling passed earlier in the day.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division on Thursday affirmed the Judgement passed by Justice Abdu Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja proscribing the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and designating it a terrorist organisation.

In a unanimous judgment of a three-member panel of Justices, the appellate court held that the Federal Government acted lawfully in proscribing the group, whose activities threatened the nation’s continued existence and the security of citizens.

In the lead judgment, Justice Hamma Barka resolved all the issues raised for determination against the appellant, IPOB and declared the appeal unmeritorious, thereafter dismissed it.

The court held that it found no reason to set aside the order the Federal Government got against the group.

Late former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati, had in a ruling he delivered on September 15, 2017, outlawed the activities of the IPOB in Nigeria.

According to Vanguard newspaper, the proscription order followed an ex-parte motion of the former Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice,  Abubakar Malami, SAN, filed on behalf of the Federal Government.

“Justice Kafafati declared as illegal, all activities of the group, particularly in the South-east and South-South regions of the country.

He further restrained “any person or group of persons from participating in any of the group’s activities”.

The Judge directed the AGF to ensure that he published the proscription order in the official gazette, as well as in two national dailies.

In a follow-up ruling on January 22, 2018, the court dismissed a motion IPOB filed to challenge the legal validity of the proscription order which it said was surreptitiously obtained by the AGF.

Dissatisfied with the decisions, the IPOB approached the appellate court to set the judgement aside.

The organization, in its appeal marked: FHC/CA/A/214/2018, which it filed through its team of lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh, urged the appellate court to set aside in its entirety, the ruling/final decision of the high court.

It alleged that the then AGF suppressed and misrepresented facts in the affidavit evidence he tendered before the court, maintaining that the proscription order was tantamount to declaring over 30 million Nigerians of Igbo extraction as terrorists.”

The armed affiliate of IPOB, ESN that is currently releasing videos and photographs of its 4th anniversary held on December 12, 2024, in a statement circulated on social media said below thus:

“In 2025, ESN will intensify their activities in sting operations against all the criminals who have turned our land into a place where all manner of evil and abominable activities, like killings, extortion, illegal arrest, and forceful disappearance have become very rampant.

It’s going to be an eye for an eye. Biafraland must be free from all these criminals being sponsored by Nigerian politicians just to tarnish the image of ESN/IPOB and the Biafra struggle.

ESN hereby warn the local vigilantes under any code name they might be called, to tread with caution in discharging their duties, ESN operatives are not against the vigilantes genuinely chasing the criminals but they must not cross the red lines by killing or illegally arrest IPOB members and innocent Biafran youths.

ESN shall apply all necessary measures that will facilitate in dislodging and evacuating murderous security agencies out of the Biafra region.

Again, all these criminals, cannibals, car-snatching gangs, kidnappers, violent cult groups and rapists operating in Imo, Anambra and other states in Biafraland shall be dislodged so that our people can freely bring their business back to Biafraland.

ESN shall forcefully impose harsh punishment on those conniving with Fulani herdsmen, individuals pointing fingers at IPOB/ESN members to be arrested and other enemies of our land who are hell bent to destroy and sabotage our efforts”.