Clerics under the banner of the Concerned Igbo Ministers Commission have criticized South-East governors for their perceived inaction regarding the continued detention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In an open letter dated January 8, 2025, and addressed to the governors, the clerics accused them of failing to pressure the Bola Tinubu administration to release Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since his re-arrest and extradition from Kenya in 2021.
The letter, signed by the group’s President-General, Tony Anthony, and Secretary-General, Tony Osuji, described Kanu’s prolonged detention as a betrayal of Igbo interests and a contributor to insecurity in the South-East region.
“It’s evident that Mr President and the South-Eastern governors took an oath not to free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the letter alleged. The clerics also referenced a claim by Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel Kanu, regarding a pre-election promise involving President Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, to secure Kanu’s release if Tinubu won the presidency.
The group accused South-East governors of hypocrisy, stating, “They use the media to fool our people with frivolous promises that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be released while benefiting from his unlawful incarceration.”
The clerics warned that the continued detention of Kanu is “an outright humiliation of Ndi Igbo” and urged religious leaders to demand his release.
They also cautioned the governors against politicizing the matter, suggesting they should not seek re-election if they continue to ignore the plight of the IPOB leader and the concerns of the Igbo people.
Kanu is facing charges of treasonable felony and terrorism, but his detention has drawn widespread criticism, with calls for a resolution to the issue to foster peace and stability in the region.
