The recent announcement of the death of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has stirred controversy once again, especially among members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Reacting to the news, Kanunta Kanu, the younger brother of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, took to social media to express skepticism and reignite long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding Buhari’s identity during his time in office.

Kanunta posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying:

“Gen Mohammadu Buhari is dead for the second time. Finally, the cabals and the British Gov have played their last joker on a hopeless country called Nigeria.”

This reaction comes amid renewed attention to the 2017–2018 claims by IPOB that Buhari had died in 2017 while receiving medical treatment in the UK and had been replaced by an impostor — a theory the former president consistently denied.

During Buhari’s extended medical leave in 2017, Nnamdi Kanu publicly alleged that the man who returned to Nigeria was not Buhari but a body double known as "Jubril from Sudan." The claim was widely dismissed by officials and fact-checkers, with Buhari himself stating in 2018:

“It’s the real me, I assure you.”

However, the recent confirmation of Buhari’s death — reportedly at a clinic in London where he had been receiving treatment — has revived the debate in IPOB circles and among conspiracy theorists.

Garba Shehu, Buhari’s former spokesperson, confirmed the passing in a statement on Sunday, but did not disclose details of the illness.

Kanunta’s remarks tap into years of public distrust and deep-rooted frustration among many Nigerians, particularly regarding transparency and power dynamics within the federal government.

While many Nigerians are still processing the news, Kanunta’s comments add fuel to a lingering and controversial chapter in Nigeria’s political history

.

Whether seen as conspiracy or conviction, one thing is certain — the legacy of Muhammadu Buhari will continue to stir conversation long after his passing.