In reaction to allegations that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is financially backed by sports betting and crowd-funding, Aloy Ejimakor, the legal representative of Nnamdi Kanu, the group’s leader, dismissed these claims as baseless and amusing.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) recently disclosed that terrorist organizations in Nigeria such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, IPOB, and bandits receive funds from global crowdfunding, online transactions, and sports betting schemes.
According to the NFIU’s bulletin, IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), have been receiving financial support from affiliates based in 22 countries, with a total of 27 registered entities associated with the group.
Out of these registrations, seven were made in the United States and six in the United Kingdom. The report also mentioned that over $160,000 raised through crowd-funding for IPOB was channeled to media, broadcasting, and transmission companies located in Bulgaria, South Africa, and the UK.
Dismissing the allegations, Ejimakor criticized the report, suggesting that someone is trying to create confusion. In a post on X, he wrote: “It’s unbelievable to suggest that IPOB, a globally recognized legal entity, relies on sports betting and crowd-funding for funding, which is completely untrue and ridiculous.”
He continued, “The crowd-funding aspect seems reminiscent of platforms like #GoFundMe, which has never been the case. There seems to be an attempt to cause disruption. #FreeMNK”