Nnamdi Kanu denies his father has passed on saying the rumour is designed to derail Ipob

INDIGENOUS People of Biafra's (Ipob) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has denied rumours that his father the paramount ruler of Isiama Afaraukwu Kingdom in Umuahia His Royal Highness King Israel Okwu Kanu has passed away.

Over the last fortnight Mazi Kanu's mother Mrs Sally Okwu Kanu, passed on and it was rumoured that his dad died two last week. Both of them fled to exile with their son in 2017 when the Nigerian Army invaded their compound in Umuahia in a raid codenamed Operation Python Dance.

Mrs Kanu died on August 30 in Germany after doctors were unable to cure her of a protracted illness and accused the federal government of contributing to her death. Mazi Kanu has denied rumours that his father passed on shortly afterwards, saying that his dad is alive and well.

Over the last week, there have been widespread rumours in many quarters that Eze Israel Kanu had died as a result of the shock he suffered over his wife’s demise. Mazi Kanu said, however, that the fake news about his father’s death was aimed at distracting and sabotaging the Biafran restoration.

He has vowed that no amount of distraction will stop the Biafran restoration. Eze Kanu is a Biafran war veteran who ran aid convoys during the war and until his going into exile, regularly held meetings for local war veterans.