Release Nnamdi Kanu or Return Him to Kenya, UK – Enugu Monarch Urges Tinubu

The Igwe of Ezema Olo in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, His Royal Highness Ambassador Dr. Lawrence Agubuzu, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from detention or repatriate him to Kenya or the United Kingdom if his presence in Nigeria poses discomfort.

Agubuzu made the passionate plea during the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health, held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday. The summit, themed “The Role of Traditional and Religious Leaders in Advancing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” aimed to boost community participation in health reforms but took an unexpected detour when the monarch addressed Kanu’s plight amid goodwill messages.

Speaking directly to President Tinubu, who was present, Agubuzu expressed his dismay over Kanu’s continued incarceration, noting that it was breeding resentment among youths in the Southeast. “Having come now to Abuja and listened to His Royal Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, who was gingering all of us to work as a family, to work as a team, to see Nigeria as one, I said maybe this is good,” he said.

“But when you look at it, this same Ooni of Ife is planning to confer a very high honour on Sunday Igboho who, in my own part of the country, we see him as the Southwest counterpart of Nnamdi Kanu and the Imperial Highness does not seem to understand the pain in my heart when Nnamdi Kanu is in Sokoto. So, sir, the ball is in your court. Bring this man out. If we don’t want him in Nigeria, send him back to Kenya or London, where he came from,” Agubuzu stated.

He further warned that the youths in the region view traditional leaders as “sell-outs” for attending events in Abuja without addressing such issues, adding, “We can’t move forward in this country unless we face the truth.” The monarch highlighted his unhappiness that the president missed the Ooni’s opening speech encouraging unity, emphasizing the need for action on Kanu’s case to foster genuine national cohesion.

Kanu, a British-Nigerian citizen, was arrested in Kenya in June 2021 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and extradited to Nigeria to face terrorism charges. After a prolonged trial marked by controversies, including allegations of rights violations, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him on seven counts of terrorism on November 20, 2025. Justice Binta Nyako sentenced him to life imprisonment, with concurrent terms of 20 years and five years on other counts. He is currently serving his sentence at a maximum-security correctional facility in Sokoto State, following the denial of his application for transfer in January 2026.

The call by Agubuzu adds to a growing chorus from prominent Igbo leaders and Southeast stakeholders urging Tinubu to intervene. Recently, the South-East Governors Forum resolved to meet with the president to discuss Kanu’s release, arguing it would ease tensions in the region. Abia State Governor Alex Otti also disclosed in November 2025 that efforts were ongoing to secure the IPOB leader’s freedom, emphasizing its importance for regional stability.

IPOB, founded by Kanu in 2012, advocates for the secession of the Southeast to form the Republic of Biafra, citing marginalization. The group was proscribed as a terrorist organization in 2017, leading to Kanu’s initial flight from Nigeria before his rearrest. His detention has sparked protests, sit-at-home orders, and clashes, exacerbating insecurity in the Southeast.

President Tinubu has yet to respond publicly to Agubuzu’s remarks, but sources close to the presidency indicate that the administration is reviewing appeals for political solutions to Kanu’s case amid broader efforts to address national unity and security challenges.