IPOB has condemned Igbo Leaders’ pleas to Tinubu and demanded immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly condemned prominent Igbo figures for publicly begging President Bola Tinubu for the release of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, describing such appeals as disgraceful and unacceptable.
In a statement released by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, titled “Stop begging Tinubu, demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu now,” the group insisted that Kanu is not a criminal and should not be subjected to petitions or requests for pardon.
IPOB criticized a recent public plea by a prominent Igbo man, identified as Idimogu, who reportedly sought Kanu’s release as a political favor aimed at boosting the ruling APC’s 2027 prospects and reviving the Southeast economy. IPOB called the act “cowardly” and accused it of betraying the Biafran people and undermining the rule of law.
The statement emphasized that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a prisoner of conscience, abducted illegally from Kenya on June 27, 2021, in violation of Kenyan sovereignty, Nigeria’s Extradition Act, and international human rights treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
IPOB noted that both Kenyan and Nigerian courts have condemned the abduction, with the Kenyan High Court declaring it illegal and Nigeria’s Court of Appeal discharging Kanu in October 2022, ruling that no Nigerian court had jurisdiction to try him due to the illegality of his rendition.
The group described the Supreme Court’s December 2023 order to remand the case for trial as a “nullity” that violates Nigeria’s Constitution, specifically Section 36(9), which protects against double jeopardy.
Furthermore, IPOB argued that the charges against Kanu rely on repealed laws and that the ongoing trial before Justice Omotosho, which restarted on March 29, 2025, lacks legal validity.
The pro-Biafra group warned that begging Tinubu only empowers dictatorship and signals weakness, implying guilt where the law has exonerated Kanu. IPOB urged Igbo leaders, well-meaning Nigerians, and the international community to cease pleading and instead demand Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release in line with the Court of Appeal’s final judgment.
The statement concluded with a call for mass mobilization, including protests and legal advocacy, to uphold justice and the constitution, warning that those who continue begging will be judged as enablers of oppression.