KEY POINTS

• An Enugu monarch publicly urged President Tinubu to facilitate Nnamdi Kanu’s release, citing regional frustration.
• Kanu is serving a life sentence for terrorism and has appealed the judgment while being held in Sokoto.
• Political leaders including Alex Otti and Orji Uzor Kalu advocate a political or diplomatic solution to resolve the issue.

The Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, has publicly appealed to Bola Tinubu to intervene in the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Speaking during the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health in Abuja, the monarch expressed personal distress over Kanu’s continued detention, stating that his imprisonment weighs heavily on him and many in the South-East region.

Agubuzu made his appeal directly before the President and an audience of religious and traditional leaders, drawing applause after urging decisive action.

During his remarks, the monarch referenced Sunday Igboho, noting that a prominent traditional ruler was preparing to confer a high honour on the Yoruba activist.

He suggested that many in the South-East see Igboho as a counterpart to Kanu and questioned why one figure was being celebrated while the other remained imprisoned.

He said the contrast deepened the frustration among youths in his region, adding that local leaders face hostility because some young people believe they are not doing enough to secure Kanu’s freedom.

Suggestion to Deport Kanu if Unwanted

Agubuzu further proposed that if Nigerian authorities did not want Kanu in the country, he could be returned to either Kenya or the United Kingdom, where he was previously based. He stressed that resolving the matter would ease tensions and foster national unity.

The President did not respond verbally to the appeal but applauded the monarch’s remarks.

In November 2025, Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism by the Federal High Court in Abuja. He is currently being held in a correctional facility in Sokoto after a request to be transferred to another location was rejected by the trial judge.

Kanu has since appealed the judgment, arguing that his trial contained fundamental legal flaws and amounted to a miscarriage of justice.