The Igwe of Ezema Olo in Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State, His Royal Highness, Ambassador Dr. Lawrence Agubuzo, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and repatriate him to Kenya or the United Kingdom if his continued stay in Nigeria is considered uncomfortable.
Kanu was arrested in Kenya during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and returned to Nigeria to face terrorism-related charges. The IPOB leader was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court and is currently held at a maximum security facility in Sokoto.
Several prominent Igbo leaders had previously appealed to the late former President Buhari and have continued to urge President Tinubu to consider releasing the pro-Biafra agitator, but those calls have yet to yield results.
Speaking at the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Agubuzo warned that Kanu’s continued detention was fueling anger and restiveness among youths in the Southeast.
“Having come now to Abuja and listened to His Royal Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, who was encouraging all of us to work as a family, to work as a team, to see Nigeria as one, I said, ‘Maybe this is good.’ But when you look at it, this same Ooni of Ife is planning to confer a very high honor on Sunday Igboho, who, in my own part of the country, we see 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. Please do something about this,” Agubuzo told the President.
He added, “We can’t move forward in this country unless we face the truth.”
The monarch further stated, “I must tell you, Mr. President, that I don’t feel very happy because you weren’t here in the morning when the Ooni of Ife gave the opening speech and was encouraging everyone to work together as one.”
The summit, themed “The Role of Traditional and Religious Leaders in Advancing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” was convened to strengthen community participation in health sector reforms. However, proceedings took an unexpected turn during the goodwill messages when the Enugu monarch directly raised concerns over Kanu’s continued incarceration.
