…Commend Otti, Abaribe, Aguocha for sustained efforts
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Kinsmen of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, have again demanded his unconditional release, pleading with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene on humanitarian grounds.
The Afaraukwu Ibeku clan of Kanu, Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State, comprising Etitinabu Na Ndagbo kindred, said the prolonged incarceration of their son has traumatized his immediate family and plunged the entire community into emotional distress.
Kanu was arrested in 2021 after being apprehended in Kenya and forcibly returned to Nigeria.
On November 20, 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sentenced him to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of terrorism-related charges brought by the Federal Government.
Kanu has consistently maintained his innocence, insisting he was convicted under what he described as a non-existent law.
The renewed call for his release followed a solemn assembly and press briefing held at Ugwu Ugba, the ancestral village square in Afaraukwu, where community leaders deliberated on what they described as the “travails” of their son.
Reading a communiqué, Prof. Udochukwu Ogbonna said Kanu remained a cherished son of the land whose continued detention had caused untold emotional pain.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is our son. His continued incarceration has brought deep emotional distress to his immediate family and to our people at large,” he said.
Appealing directly to the President, Ogbonna added: “We call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to listen to our plea and extend a hand of compassion by releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kenneth Okwu-Kanu.”
Other speakers, including Prof. Leo Obinna, Ikechukwu Ndubueze, and Mrs. Victoria Ngozi Orjinanta, described Kanu as peace-loving and law-abiding, questioning why others accused of similar offences, such as Sunday Igboho, among others, were not in custody while Kanu remained imprisoned.
They pledged that, if released, Kanu would continue to conduct himself as a law-abiding citizen, adding that his freedom would contribute significantly to peace and stability in the South-East.
The kinsmen also expressed appreciation to Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and House of Representatives member Obi Aguocha for what they described as their sustained efforts toward securing Kanu’s release.
They appealed for what they termed a compassionate review of the case to allow Kanu to reunite with his family and community.
Emotion heightened when a 99-year-old community member, Mrs. Serah Oparaocha, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release to her the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whom she described as her grandson, before her death.
She said: “Please tell the President to release my grandson, Nnamdi Kanu, so I can see him again before I meet my Creator. If he does that, it will be a wonderful parting gift for me.”
The community urged the Federal Government to consider dialogue and reconciliation as pathways to enduring peace in the South-East.
