An Igbo traditional ruler has called on President Bola Tinubu to release detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, warning that anger among youths in the South-East is rising.
Lawrence Agubuzor, monarch of Ezzagu community in Enugu State, said he felt deep distress over Kanu’s continued detention, which he claimed has heightened tension in the region.
“I do not understand the pain in my heart when Nnamdi Kanu is in Sokoto. So sad. The ball stops in your court. Bring this man out,” he said in a public appeal directed at the president.
Agubuzor warned that many young people see traditional leaders as ineffective for failing to secure Kanu’s release. He said some youths now accuse elders of betrayal and distrust their visits to Abuja, believing they go there for personal gain.
The monarch urged the government to either free Kanu or send him back abroad if he is not wanted in Nigeria. He referenced Kenya and London as places where Kanu previously stayed.
Kanu, leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra movement, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for separatist linked with agitation offences and incarcerated in Sokoto custody. His case has drawn strong reactions across the South-East, where supporters demand his release and critics accuse authorities of prolonging the crisis.
Agubuzor’s appeal reflects growing pressure from regional voices urging political dialogue.
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