Biafra: Ex-Nigeria Captain Mikel Speaks On Alleged Support For Agitation

Former Super Eagles of Nigeria captain, John Obi Mikel has said that he "never spoke to anybody" about Biafra, AllNews reports.

AllNews understands that some unreliable reports made the rounds recently claiming that Jos, Plateau State-born Mikel talked down Igbo presidency in 2023, and backed the current Biafra agitation led prominently by Nnamdi Kanu.

“I was as shocked as you are to see the video that I supported a Biafra government," Mikel said according to AOIFootball.

"I never spoke to anybody about such and would never get myself involved with such things, especially matters that have to do with the politics of the country.

“I’m fully focused on what has made me who I’m today (football); it’s been a very tough season and I’m just enjoying time with family and focusing on the next step for my career.”

Mikel, 33, is currently without a club having left Turkish side Trabzonspor by mutual consent in March.

Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB Using Propaganda Tools For Biafra Cause

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is one of the organisations leading the renewed agitation for Biafran independence.

Its founder, Nnamdi Kanu, first revived Radio Biafra in 2009, using it to further the organisation’s pro-independence cause with broadcasts from abroad.

Researchers have found that the pirate radio station plus Kanu's known social media handles supplies disinformation.

Prof Lai Oso, who teaches mass communication at Lagos State University’s School of Communication, likened Biafra’s online disinformation campaign to propaganda. 

Oso is also the president of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria.

“In this era when fact-checking is becoming common and advancements in technology have made it easier for people to find facts, propaganda or disinformation is not a good communication strategy,” he told Africa Check in January.

Furthermore, a professor of mass communication at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Emmanuel Udeze, stated that the false claims about Biafra seem to be taking advantage of the limitations of social media when it comes to gatekeeping. 

“This is the other side of citizen journalism. Because everyone can now do reports and disseminate information, you can’t prevent the publishing of false information online.

“And because of people’s varying levels of understanding, quite a number of people can be fooled to believe false information at first,” Udeze said.