Nigerian pro-secession group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has dismissed runaway leader Nnamdi Kanu.

The group's pirate Radio Biafra said Mr Kanu had been replaced by Mr Ezenwachukwu Sampson Okwudili.

The radio that returned to air on Monday night, also announced the sacking of Mr Kanu as the director of the broadcaster.

Core objectives

A woman presenter, who identified herself as Miss Ifeoma Okorafor, stated that Radio Biafra was back on air and IPOB was restructuring, hence the dismissal of Mr Kanu.

Mr Kanu has not been seen publicly since he fled Abia State in the south east, after the military raided his family compound in September.

The reasons the Radio Biafra announcer gave for Mr Kanu’s removal included his alleged personalisation of the Biafran struggle and derailing from the core objectives of IPOB as a grassroots movement.

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He was also accused of inciting IPOB members towards violence, leading to the death of many innocent young people in Onitsha, Aba and Umuahia, an action considered "totally unacceptable and grossly irresponsible’’.

"Kanu privately collected £14 million and another $22 million to purchase landed properties abroad in his name and that of his father, Mr Igwe Israel Kanu, in a clear case of monkey dey work baboon dey chop.

"Kanu turned our collective struggle into a money-making enterprise for himself and his father," Radio Biafra said.

Freedom fighters

Upon his release from detention in April 2017, IPOB explained that Mr Kanu was expected to have pushed for the release of his accomplices and co-detainees - Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi.

"These are our brothers who were arrested at the same time with him and they should not be forgotten. We hereby demand their release," said Radio Biafra.

"Kanu, since his release, has never spoken about them or appealed for the release of these our freedom fighters. Instead, he has been going about collecting chieftaincy titles and having a messianic swagger that even allowed full-blooded Igbomen to kneel down and kiss his feet."