IPOB Joins Catalonia Day, Presses for Kanu Release
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| On this occasion, IPOB reiterated its call for international solidarity to secure the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. |
Members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) took part in Catalonia's National Day ("La Diada") celebrations in Barcelona on September 11, 2026, joining pro-independence rallies and events commemorating the fall of Barcelona in 1714.
The group, which has maintained ties with Catalan activists for years, has also sought to promote the Biafran cause across Europe.
On this occasion, IPOB reiterated its call for international solidarity to secure the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu has been held by Nigerian authorities since 2021 and is serving a life sentence following his 2025 conviction on terrorism-related charges. IPOB cites UN opinions and court rulings that characterize his detention as arbitrary and illegal.
Pro-independence supporters organized large-scale demonstrations; according to municipal police, approximately 45,000 people marched in Barcelona, while other rallies took place elsewhere in Catalonia.
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain with its own parliament and government, but independence advocates seek for it to become a separate, sovereign state.