Enugu Monarch Sparks Nationwide Debate Demanding Nnamdi Kanu’s Release from Prison

Abuja, Nigeria – February 25, 2026

A bold call for the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu has ignited widespread reactions across Nigeria and the diaspora. Last week, during a health summit for traditional and religious leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu of Enugu State confronted President Bola Tinubu, demanding the unconditional release of Kanu or his transfer to Kenya.

The unprecedented move caught President Tinubu off guard, prompting visible laughter, but quickly drew national attention for its courage and directness.

Agubuzu’s demand highlights what many see as a glaring double standard in Nigeria’s handling of self-determination agitators. While Yoruba activist Sunday Igboho has been pardoned and is receiving accolades from Yoruba leaders, Kanu remains imprisoned despite similar charges.

The monarch’s intervention has received strong backing from Igbo advocacy groups in the United States. In a joint statement, the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Ambassadors for Self-Determination (ASD), and Rising Sun Foundation (RSF) applauded Agubuzu, calling him one of the few Igbo leaders to publicly acknowledge the injustice faced by Kanu.

“Eze Agubuzu and Eze Chukwuemeka Eri are the only monarchs currently speaking for Igbo humanity,” the statement read. “Other Igbo leaders’ silence in the face of Kanu’s detention is complicity. The time for half-measures and whispers is over.”

Academics and legal experts have also voiced support. Prof. Leo Obinna of Michael Okpara University, Umudike, described the monarch as courageous and representative of the majority Igbo sentiment. Lawyers Godwin Chinonye and Okezie Ohajuruka echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that Kanu has not committed any offense that justifies continued imprisonment.

Community leaders from Kanu’s hometown in Umuahia, including former President General Ikechukwu Ndubueze, stressed that the IPOB leader’s fate would likely have been different if he were Yoruba or Fulani, underscoring persistent ethnic disparities in Nigeria’s justice system.

The debate sparked by Igwe Agubuzu is expected to intensify calls for national dialogue on ethnic equity, justice, and the treatment of political detainees.