…urge Tinubu to order his release without delay
By Chimaobi Nwaiwu
NNEWI — The United Igbo Elders Council (UNIEC) Worldwide has raised concern over the health of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order his immediate and unconditional release.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Justice Alpha Ikpeama, UNIEC said Kanu’s continued detention despite court rulings in his favour poses serious danger to his health and to Nigeria’s unity.
The statement, titled “Court Rulings, UN Decisions Ignored as Kanu’s Health Worsens”, argued that his detention violates both Nigerian and international court judgments.
According to UNIEC, Kanu’s legal troubles began in October 2015 when he was arrested in Lagos by the DSS and charged with treason, terrorism, and managing an unlawful society. He was later granted bail in 2017 but fled the country after an invasion of his Umuahia home by soldiers.
The elders further recalled his extraordinary rendition in June 2021, alleging that he was abducted in Kenya and transferred to Nigeria, where he has since been held in DSS custody. They noted that several courts—including the UN Human Rights Group (2022), the Court of Appeal in Abuja (2022), the Federal High Court in Umuahia (2022), and the High Court of Kenya (2025)—have ruled against his detention.
UNIEC warned that Kanu’s worsening health condition has now reached a critical point.
“On September 17, 2025, his lawyers revealed that he is battling dangerously low potassium levels and other complications that could trigger heart failure,” the group said.
The council expressed disappointment that while the previous administration “openly targeted” Ndigbo, the Tinubu administration has allowed Kanu’s ordeal to continue.
“Unity must not only be in theory; it must be reflected in practice,” the statement read.
The elders also criticized what they described as double standards, noting that dialogue and amnesty have been extended to other groups, while Kanu remains in detention. They pointed out that other agitators such as Sunday Igboho and Sheikh El-Zakzaky have regained freedom, questioning why Kanu’s case is treated differently.
UNIEC urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo, South-East governors, traditional rulers, church leaders, youth, and civil society groups to speak with one voice in demanding his release.
“Today it is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; tomorrow it could be any one of us. Injustice to one is injustice to all,” the group declared.
The council concluded that if Nigeria cannot guarantee justice and fairness to the Igbo, then the people should be allowed to determine their own path in peace.
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