South East Monarch Urges Tinubu to Release Nnamdi Kanu

During a traditional and religious leaders summit held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Dr. Lawrence Agubuzu, the monarch of the Ogbunechendo Ezema Olo Kingdom, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release and deport Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Agubuzu warned that Kanu's continued detention is exacerbating agitation among the youth in the South East. Kanu, a British-Nigerian activist, was first arrested in October 2015 on charges of treason and later granted bail in April 2017.

Following a military raid in September 2017, he fled the country, and the Nigerian government subsequently proscribed IPOB as a terrorist organization in June 2021. Kanu was re-arrested and returned to Nigeria from Kenya, facing multiple legal challenges.

The summit also focused on healthcare reform, with Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate emphasizing the importance of traditional leaders in supporting health initiatives.