Prominent Igbo figures, including traditional rulers, clerics, and political leaders, have collectively expressed their support for the upcoming Free Nnamdi Kanu protest being organised by activist Omoyele Sowore.
The protest, initiated by the former presidential candidate, aims to compel the Federal Government to comply with existing court orders that mandate the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, who earlier in the week announced the nationwide protest on his verified social media accounts, described it as a “mass action for justice, peace, and the rule of law.” He explained that the movement is not solely about Kanu’s release but also about upholding court rulings and ending selective justice in Nigeria.
Amid mixed reactions, Igbo leaders who spoke in separate interviews said the call for Kanu’s release had become a national matter and urged President Ahmed Tinubu to act accordingly.
Linking insecurity in the South-East to Kanu’s continued detention, the leaders said his unconditional release would help restore peace in the region.
Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, expressed his full support for the protest.
Wabara, who is currently abroad for medical treatment, said he would have personally participated if he were in the country.
He stated that he had already sent a message of solidarity to Sowore and commended others who stood firm against injustice.
Similarly, a two-time Minister of Education and Health, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, noted that the rally was not limited to the Igbo people but was instead a national action against injustice.
He stated that Kanu’s continuous detention could no longer be justified, hence the growing national outcry against it.
The elder statesman praised Nigerians who had spoken out against what he described as unfair treatment.
He said, “Freedom has no tribal boundary; it’s a universal phenomenon. That’s why the whole world gathered together to stop slave trade many decades ago. Fight for freedom is in the DNA of every human being.
“So, the free Nnamdi Kanu rally is the gathering of humanity in favour of. I totally support the movement to free Nnamdi Kanu.”
In the same light, Abia traditional rulers also voiced their support for the protest, noting that it aligns with the persistent appeals by Igbo leaders to the Presidency.
The Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze Linus Nto Mbah, said the time had come for Kanu’s release.
“We have said it severally that it’s time to release Nnamdi Kanu to us. We want the Federal Government to release him to us, and let peace be restored to the South East,” he said.
The monarch, however, urged protesters to remain peaceful and advised security operatives to avoid using force but rather ensure the protection of demonstrators to prevent miscreants from hijacking the protest.
Adding his voice, the Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia Diocese, Archbishop Raphael Opoko, described the protest as a pan-Nigerian movement.
He appealed to both protesters and security personnel to ensure the demonstration remains peaceful.
The cleric said, “The people who are marching and security agencies are all Nigerians. If they believe that they are all Nigerians, then then should ensure it is peaceful.
“They all should be aware that any injustice to one is injustice to all.”
Archbishop Opoko said Kanu’s release was long overdue, arguing that if the same government could negotiate with armed bandits, it had no moral justification for continuing to detain Kanu, who was only advocating for justice for his people.
“Yes, the case of Nnamdi Kanu has been in the courts, but the same courts had given verdicts in favour of him but government refused to obey it. They are charging him with terrorism but where you now find terrorists, those who are known to be terrorists, carrying guns and negotiating with government. Except government is saying that those trending pictures and videos are AI generated.
“A situation where a local government chairman is signing peace deal with bandits can not be justified if a freedom fighter cannot be freed. These are the injustices that make people to be restless. And the government should address these issues.
“If government do not address injustices, even if you turn the whole country into one party system, the day the youths will say enough is enough, it will be too terrible.
“Why is it that we cannot just take the resilience, respond to the resilience of Nigerians, and begin to do things right?
Why can’t Mr President listened to the yearnings of the masses concerning Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“He should remember the saying that ‘Those who make peaceful change difficult, make violent change inevitable.’”
The Archbishop also appealed for calm during the demonstration.
“As they go in their protest march, do not touch or destroy anything. Follow the rules of engagement in peaceful protest. Make your points known. Deliver your message to the authorities.”
Meanwhile, Igbo women under the aegis of the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) also declared their support for the protest, calling on participants to be peaceful.
The National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, stated that she had already arrived in Abuja to participate in the rally.
She said Igbo women had been mobilised to take part in the protest, noting that Kanu, being a proud son of Ndigbo, had committed no crime to justify his prolonged detention.
Lolo Chimezie said women from across Nigeria would join the march to ensure it remained peaceful.
She also pleaded with security agencies to avoid using force against demonstrators.
“Kanu is our son, and we cannot abandon him. We plead with Mr President who is busy granting pardon to people to also use his prerogative of mercy and free Nnamdi Kanu,” she said.
In his own remarks, the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, described the protest as a courageous and justified action that aligns with “the collective frustration of Ndigbo.”
Okorie said Kanu’s continued detention despite several court rulings in his favour was a “national embarrassment.” He criticised Kanu’s extraordinary rendition from Kenya, calling it “a crime that should scandalize any country that claims to uphold the rule of law.”
“It’s a good thing. I commend Sowore for that initiative. From the beginning, there was no basis for his detention,” Okorie said. “The government has found nothing concrete against him, yet he remains in custody, while real terrorists are granted amnesty and even reintegrated into society. It’s a shame. Nnamdi Kanu has become a symbol of the Igbo man’s dilemma in Nigeria. When you say Nnamdi Kanu is in prison, it is actually the entire Igbo nation that is in prison.”
Similarly, the former President of the Igbo socio-cultural group Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, said any effort to secure Kanu’s release deserves full support.
“My belief is that anything anybody can do to get Nnamdi Kanu out is good,” he said. “If somebody wants to protest so that the government will let him go, I support it. If somebody wants to shout about the injustice of releasing terrorists while keeping Kanu, I’m on the same side. I want him out.”
Likewise, the National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka Igboayaka, described Sowore’s call for a nationwide protest as “the first-ever pan-Nigerian demonstration for justice.”
He explained that the protest at the Presidential Villa on October 20 was not Sowore’s personal project but a united call for fairness, justice, and reconciliation.
“The October 20th national protest is not Comrade Sowore’s protest, but a pan-Nigerian movement demanding the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. It embodies a call for national healing and genuine reconciliation,” he said.
The youth leader said the demonstration symbolised a rejection of selective justice, adding that while Boko Haram members and bandits in the North had been pardoned and reintegrated, Kanu remained detained “for merely calling for a referendum.”
“The government cannot continue to apply one law for the North and another for the Southeast,” Igboayaka warned. “If Nnamdi Kanu is considered a terrorist, then he should be pardoned as others have been. But if his only crime is seeking a referendum, he deserves to be discharged and acquitted.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu to heed the national outcry for Kanu’s release, warning that his continued detention could worsen national division.
“We call on Igbo leaders, governors, lawmakers, religious and traditional heads to rise and demand his unconditional release.
In the interest of justice and national stability, President Tinubu should direct the Attorney-General to withdraw all charges against him,” he added.
However, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned the planned protest for Kanu’s release.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja, the National Coordinator of CNG, Comrade Jamilu Charanchi, said Kanu’s case should be determined by the courts and not through emotional appeals. He described the planned protest as an attempt at emotional blackmail to pressure the government into releasing Kanu.
Charanchi argued that the magnitude of Kanu’s alleged offences against the Nigerian state should not be trivialised, as his actions had resulted in the loss of innocent lives and disrupted socio-economic activities in the South-East.
He said, “The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, therefore: condemns unequivocally the planned protests for Kanu’s release, describing them as reckless, provocative, and a direct affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty and judiciary.
“It urges federal government to see Kanu’s trial to its logical conclusion, ensuring that justice is neither delayed nor diluted under political pressure.
“It calls on security agencies to remain alert and proactive in preventing any breakdown of law and order during these orchestrated protests.
“The CNG demands an immediate investigation into individuals and organizations funding, coordinating, or promoting these destabilizing protests under the guise of human rights advocacy.
“The coalition appeals to patriotic Nigerians, especially peace-loving citizens of the South-east, to reject calls to anarchy, embrace dialogue, and support genuine efforts toward development, peace, and unity.
“No amount of street protest or emotional manipulation will erase these atrocities or compel the Nigerian state to compromise the rule of law.”
Likewise, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Interim Management Committee has warned youths against participating in the planned nationwide protest on October 20, 2025, citing safety concerns and a court order restraining the demonstration.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Buhari Shehu, the NYCN stated that the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Police Force, had secured a restraining order from the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the organisers from holding the protest.
The Council also referred to a security alert from the United States Embassy in Abuja, which advised American citizens in Nigeria to avoid locations where the demonstration might occur.
The NYCN noted that the advisory highlighted the potential dangers associated with the protest.
“In light of this development, we urge all Nigerian youths to exercise restraint and stay out of trouble. We are concerned that the planned protest may lead to a breakdown of law and order, which could put lives and property at risk,” the statement read in part.
Kanu has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, facing a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony.
