Additional details have emerged on the case of Johnson Ibeawuchi, an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) supporter based in Texas, who was recently held in contempt of court for failing to meet his child support obligations.
Ibeawuchi, a native of Imo State, Nigeria, has lived in Texas for about 17 years. He divorced his wife in May 2022, and the marriage produced three children. Following the divorce, a Texas court ordered him to pay $2,100 monthly in child support. Records show that he complied with the order throughout 2022 but stopped making payments after October 2023.
In November 2025, his ex-wife filed a petition seeking enforcement of the child support order. The matter was taken up by state child support enforcement authorities and brought before the court. At an initial hearing in January 2026, Ibeawuchi told the court he could not afford a lawyer. The judge granted him one month to either retain legal counsel and prepare for trial or reach a payment agreement with the enforcement agency. He was also directed to make an initial payment and set up a repayment plan for the outstanding arrears by the end of January, a directive he failed to comply with.
When the case resumed on February 6, 2026, enforcement officials presented Ibeawuchi’s bank records covering the past four years. The documents showed that from July 2021, he consistently made monthly payments of $1,000 to IPOB Worldwide Ltd. Between July 2021 and August 2025, the total amount transferred to the group was put at $49,000.
Asked by the court why he prioritised these payments over his child support obligations, Ibeawuchi said he began donating to IPOB before the child support order was issued. He explained that the funds were meant to support what he described as the liberation of the Igbo people in Nigeria, adding that he believed such a cause would ultimately secure a better future for his children.
The court ruled that Ibeawuchi had willfully failed to comply with its child support order and found him in contempt. He was sentenced to prison but granted a two-week window to purge himself of the contempt. To avoid incarceration, he must pay 25 percent of the outstanding arrears and enter into a payment plan for the remaining balance within the probationary period.
With the deadline looming, Ibeawuchi is now required to source funds urgently to meet the court’s conditions, including the possibility of seeking financial assistance or refunds from associates.