ABUJA, NIGERIA: A prominent traditional ruler from Nigeria’s Southeast, HRM Igwe, Amb. Dr Lawrence Okolio Chikezie Agubuzu, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), currently held in Sokoto prison.
Speaking on Tuesday at the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health in Abuja, attended by President Tinubu and a delegation of royal fathers, Agubuzu made an emotional plea for justice and reconciliation. He expressed dismay at the continued detention of Kanu, drawing a comparison with Sunday Igboho, who is being honoured in the Southwest. “Bring this man out,” he told the president. “If we don’t want him in Nigeria, return him to Kenya or London, where they took him from.” He warned that silence from traditional rulers could be misinterpreted by Southeast youths as complicity with the government, adding that such perceptions risk alienating leaders from their communities.
Kanu was arrested in Kenya in 2021 under controversial circumstances and subjected to what his lawyers described as “extraordinary rendition” back to Nigeria. His detention sparked widespread protests and debate over due process and international law. The Federal Government charged him with terrorism and treasonable felony, citing his Radio Biafra broadcasts and separatist mobilisation. After protracted legal proceedings, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to life imprisonment in November 2025 on seven counts of terrorism-related offences. While the government insists his actions endangered national security, his defence team argues the charges are politically motivated and his rendition violated international law.
Agubuzu’s appeal adds to mounting pressure from lawmakers, civil society groups, and Southeast leaders who have repeatedly called on Tinubu to intervene. Observers warn that Kanu’s continued detention risks deepening unrest in the region and undermining efforts at national reconciliation.
