Ohanaeze Ndigbo Asks President Bola Tinubu To Free Nnamdi Kanu After Sunday Adeyemo’s Release

Igbo socio-cultural organization Ohanaeze Ndigbo has asked President Bola Tinubu to free Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu following the release of Nigerian activist and philanthropist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, from Beninoise prison earlier this week.

Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, secretary general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, applauded the decision of Patrice Talon, Benin's president, to release Igboho and appealed to the Nigerian president to do the same with British-Nigerian political activist Kanu.

"Ohanaeze Ndigbo expresses its heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering contributions of Yoruba leaders such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Banji Akintoye, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Pa Ayo Adebanjo towards the release of Sunday Igboho," Isiguzoro said, as per Punch.

The organization recalled that the plea to release both Kanu and Igboho was made on Oct. 1, adding that it would be an opportunity for Tinubu to demonstrate similar gestures as the president of Benin and drop all charges against Kanu that would allow him to regain his freedom.

Isiguzoro believes that if Tinubu decides to free Kanu, then he will be hailed as a national hero in Nigeria. However, he also acknowledged that "Nigerians who felt denigrated by Kanu's actions should find it in their hearts to forgive him, as his release will mark a significant step towards national unity and reconciliation."

"We express our gratitude to President Talon, Yoruba leaders, and political figures for their efforts in securing Sunday Igboho's release. The organization remains hopeful that President Tinubu will embrace this historic opportunity and contribute to the restoration of peace and harmony in Nigeria," Isiguzoro added.

Kanu, who founded the separatist group IPOB in 2012, was nabbed by Nigerian security forces in 2015 for terrorism and treasonable felony. He was detained for more than a year, which triggered multiple protests in the country.

He was eventually released in April 2017 with restrictions. However, in September of the same year, he was arrested anew for posing a threat to national security. In 2021, after a few years of release, Kanu left the country but was later arrested in Kenya. Once again, his arrest led to tension in south-eastern Nigeria.

As far as Igboho is concerned, he was kept in Benin prison for two years before regaining his freedom. He fled Nigeria in July 2021 when his house was raided by the Department of State Services.