ABUJA — Several foreign missions in Nigeria have received official notifications from Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu regarding a change in the group’s top leadership structure.

According to information obtained on Wednesday, letters sent to 72 countries announced the dissolution of the 3rd Directorate of State (DOS) led by Mazi Chika Edoziem, and the formation of a new 4th DOS administration headed by Mazi Chris Nwaogu, which will operate from the United States.

The correspondence, dated June 24, 2026, was sent from Sokoto Correctional Centre where Kanu is currently serving a life sentence after his conviction on terrorism charges brought by the Nigerian government.

Embassies in Abuja that confirmed receipt include those of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Spain, Burkina Faso, China, Kuwait and Indonesia, among others.

Each letter was issued on IPOB World Headquarters letterhead and signed by Kanu as “Supreme Leader.” It stated that the leadership transition was carried out “in strict compliance with the provisions of the IPOB Code of Conduct,” described in the letter as the movement’s highest governing document.

The notification also asserted that the power to appoint, suspend, remove or replace principal officers and administrations lies solely with the Office of the Supreme Leader. It recalled that the 3rd DOS was constituted in 2017 from Kuje Prison while Kanu was awaiting trial, while the new 4th DOS was formed from Sokoto Prison.

IPOB sources said the acknowledgments from the embassies show that the group’s internal governance process has now been formally communicated to a broad range of sovereign states, including permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. The letters presented the transition as lawful, transparent, and consistent with IPOB’s constitutional framework.

The announcement comes amid internal disputes that led to the expulsion of members of the Edoziem-led 3rd DOS. With the latest communication, IPOB maintains that the 4th Administration of the Directorate of State is now fully in place and operational.