Enugu Monarch Urges Tinubu to Release Nnamdi Kanu, Says Detention Fuels Southeast Tensions
The traditional ruler of Ezema Olo in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, His Royal Highness Ambassador Dr. Lawerence Agubuzu, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release detained pro-Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu or repatriate him abroad if his continued stay in Nigeria is deemed untenable.
Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested in Kenya during the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari and returned to Nigeria to face terrorism-related charges.
He was subsequently convicted by the Federal High Court and is currently serving a life sentence at a maximum-security correctional facility in Sokoto.
Speaking at the 2026 National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health held at the State House Conference Centre, Agubuzu warned that Kanu’s continued detention was deepening frustration among youths in the Southeast.
The monarch noted that several Igbo leaders have continued to call for the agitator’s release, stressing that national reconciliation requires addressing sensitive political grievances.
Referring to remarks earlier made at the summit by the Ooni of Ife urging unity, Agubuzu said he found it difficult to reconcile calls for national cohesion with what he described as unresolved injustice.
He urged the President to take decisive action, suggesting that if authorities no longer wish Kanu to remain in Nigeria, he could be returned to Kenya or the United Kingdom.
The summit, themed “The Role of Traditional and Religious Leaders in Advancing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” was organised to strengthen grassroots participation in health reforms, but Agubuzu’s remarks shifted attention to national security and political tensions.