By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka
Igbo-speaking youths across Nigeria have endorsed the planned October 20, 2025, peaceful protest aimed at demanding the unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting in Awka on Wednesday, the youths — under the umbrella of the Igbo Youth Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly — urged other ethnic groups and advocates of justice to support the call for Kanu’s release.
The meeting drew participants from the youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the youth wing of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), and the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).
The group appealed to Igbo youths both at home and in the diaspora to conduct themselves peacefully during the protest and avoid any form of violence or confrontation.
“We urge our people to maintain proper conduct throughout the demonstration so that no one becomes a victim of unforeseen circumstances,” the communiqué stated.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu himself would not want any innocent blood to be shed on his behalf.”
According to the communiqué, the youths expressed concern that despite recent positive steps such as the creation of the South East Development Commission, the region still experiences what they described as social and economic exclusion.
“With the establishment of the South East Development Commission, we had thought the civil war era was finally behind us. But recent realities suggest that challenges of marginalization and exclusion persist,” the group said.
They urged the Federal Government to consider granting amnesty to agitators and to release Nnamdi Kanu as part of a broader reconciliation effort.
“The Federal Government has not secured a conviction against him since his detention. We therefore advocate his release as a political solution to the prevailing security and socio-political issues in the South East,” the communiqué added.
The youths commended the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, South East governors, and other stakeholders for their ongoing appeals for Kanu’s release but urged them to intensify their efforts.
“We appreciate the efforts of our leaders, both past and present, in promoting peace in the South East. However, we call on them to do more by engaging the Federal Government to take decisive action,” they said.
The group welcomed the solidarity of those convening the October 20 protest, describing it as a “national action against injustice.”
They reiterated their commitment to peace, justice, and unity based on fairness and equality.
“We want peace, but not the peace of the graveyard. We want unity, but not the unity of a slave and a master. We demand justice, because a people denied justice cannot truly know peace,” the communiqué concluded.
The post Igbo Youths endorse October 20 protest for Nnamdi Kanu’s release appeared first on Vanguard News.
